


Episode 3 - A Bad Day

by stgjr



Series: "The Power of a Name" Series 1 - "Time Lord Ascendant" [4]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Doctor Who, Multi-Fandom, The Dresden Files - Jim Butcher
Genre: Crossover, Gen, Multiverse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-08
Updated: 2017-03-08
Packaged: 2018-10-01 04:32:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 21,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10180799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stgjr/pseuds/stgjr
Summary: A thrilling story in which our narrator crashes the TARDIS due to a terrible misunderstanding, flight from the local constabulary, and an unexpected passenger: Avatar Korra!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally posted on Spacebattles.com on January 3rd, 2014.

Traveling through six dimensions isn't always looking at good alien scenery or treating a couple of nineteen year old former slave girls to exotic refreshments. Sometimes things go, frankly, absolutely bollocks.  
  
I had materialized the TARDIS with the intent to check out a particularly interesting alternate Earth, since it wasn't "Earth" at all but a planet like Earth with Human evolution and some very bizarre borrowings from Earth's biosphere. I'd come to see the sights, really. You know, the big statue of the bald kid, the golden arena.... yes, I'm talking about Republic City.  
  
What, did you think the Multiverse only included space-faring science fiction cosmos'... cosmosoi... cosmoses.... _whatever means more than one cosmos_?  
  
Anyway, some sight-seeing, maybe some of that Water Tribe cuisine even if I were no fan of green noodles, taking the girls to a Pro Bending match... just another stopover, right? Park the TARDIS, give Janias a little holo thing so no one asked why she was green, and off we go.  
  
Well, it doesn't quite work out that way when you're turning into the Doctor.  
  
The TARDIS had materialized inside a structure, a warehouse of some sort, and it was a quick jaunt from the storage area to the loading dock. I was in my usual suit. Janias was in a red and blue jacket and blue pants, Cami in pink sweater with light blue jeans. Their dressing room on the TARDIS now officially exceeded my own wardrobe by about four times the volume. I should have never introduced them to Old Navy.  
  
We stepped into said loading dock, looking to see if it was abandoned or not. We found the loading dock occupied by fellows in masks with metal gloves. They had turned toward the door as I opened it, seeing the three of us at the entrance.  
  
Upon seeing them I let out an exasperated sigh. The Equalists. "Not what I was expecting to see."  
  
"Who are you?" A very young sounding voice shouted from the group. The voice's owner, a young man who was setting off alarms in my head as "rebel who's found a cause", emerged from them to face us. "How did you get into our stronghold?"  
  
"Who, us? Just passing through," I replied. I could see the girls were tensing up to run. "Aren't you awfully young to be leading a rebellion?"  
  
"The Bender tyranny has taken the rest of us, but they won't claim us!", the lad proclaimed. "We'll remain hidden, ready for when Amon returns!"  
  
Well, that narrowed things down. This was after Amon's unmasking and the collapse of the Equalist Revolution. He was now resting peacefully at the bottom of the sea with his brother. Rather a sad family even if you account for the suffering he caused. Although I had to admit to some gratitude in not finding out if his bloodbending could lock out Janias' connection to the Force or affect my own Time Lord physiology. "Lad, you're aware Amon himself was a Waterbender, right?"  
  
"Bender lies!"  
  
Camilla giggled. I glanced at her. "Sorry, it's just.... 'Bender'? I'm guessing he's not talking about Jan and I, or men like us anyway."  
  
Apparently the accent wasn't the only thing the Imperials had inherited from the British.  
  
Going by some of the crowd I wondered if a few of them weren't as convinced as their leader, but a young man with energy could sway the less-convinced enough to pull them along, especially with the help of peer pressure. "I doubt every witness was a Bender," I pointed out. "But I'm guessing you're not the type to be easily dissuaded, are you Reg?"  
  
Yes, I called him Reg. Something in the kid reminded me of Reg Shoe of Ankh-Morpork. Just without everything that made Reg such an endearing activist zombie policeman. Really, Reg Shoe is a rather swell dead guy when you get to know him. And I still owe him a few quid.  
  
Long story.  
  
"You're agents, sent to weaken our resolve!", the young man decided.  
  
Janias cackled, amused. "Don't laugh at a political radical when they're being political and have you at a disadvantage," I warned her. "They don't particularly like it."  
  
"He's cute for how naive and silly he is," Janias retorted.  
  
"We won't be slaves anymore!"  
  
I winced. Camilla and Janias shot him dark looks. "You have no bloody idea what you're on about," Camilla hissed.  
  
"Okay everyone, please, let's calm down." I stepped forward, hands held up between them. "No need for this to become..."  
  
"Long live Amon!" "Reg" brought up his shock glove.  
  
"Oh please," I sighed. I pulled my sonic out of my pocket and briefly mused on the irony. In any other 1920s technological timeframe I'd be a bit more hard-pressed to deal with local weapons since pistols aren't as susceptible to interference by sonic screwdriver... at least until I figure out how to make it create that Sontaran anti-bullet field or something.  
  
Electric gloves? Those I can handle.  
  
A brief whir of sonics and there was popping and crackling as the gloves shorted out, victims of a short-lived feedback. "So, you lot realize you're the last vestige of a doomed revolution, yes? Without Amon you've got no way to take away Benders' powers - stop laughing Cami - and really, a dozen or so kids in a warehouse isn't going to topple the whole world. You kids need to walk away from this. Give time for things to change around here, and they will. And most importantly...."  
  
There was a loud crash on the ceiling. Everyone looked up. I saw the metal roof begin to rip and curl inward. A voice echoed over a bullhorn. " _This is Chief Bei-Fong of the Republic City Police! You are under arrest!_ "  
  
I winced. All I wanted was to see Aang's statue and enjoy some local cuisine. Now I was going to have a lady who could move and alter metal with her freaking mind after me.  
  
"And that's our cue to find another rest spot," I said to the girls. "Back to the TARDIS!"  
  
We went for the door while, behind us, Metalbender police descended on the now-defenseless Equalists. I suppose I could have taken credit for it and used that to my advantage. I doubt it would have worked that well though. Lin struck me as the "arrest them all and let the magistrates sort them out type". And it was not a good time to be a suspected Equalist in Republic City.  
  
We had gotten to the door when a Metalbender dropped behind us. "Halt!", I heard him shout. Brought his arm up, ready to ensnare us undoubtedly. I turned and sent off a quick burst with my sonic, an energy charge that magnetized the metal strongly enough that it would stick within his suit.  
  
We made it to the TARDIS door when the far door flew open. And I mean flew. As in a gust of wind forcing it open. More like a miniature tornado, actually. A female voice demanded, "Alright Equalists, give yourselves up! It's over!"  
  
You get one guess who it was. Only one.  
  
Have you guessed? Good.  
  
I do not lie when I say that the arrival of Avatar Korra, a young and headstrong teenager who was clearly and understandably convinced we were all Equalists, was not yet the worst part of that day. It was just very close.  
  
Korra was in her usual attire. Blue sleeveless Water Tribe-theme top, arm bands, and darker blue trousers. Contrast to my navy blue trousers and jacket and lighter blue button-down shirt. I suppose the color theme was fairly close. There was nothing to it, of course, since my original desire to wear a purple jacket was overwhelmed by my desire to not look like I was a can of facepaint away from laughing a lot and plotting elaborate traps to kill Batman.  
  
"This is the last time I try to visit this bloody city," I swore.  
  
"Don't move!" She assumed a stance that I figured was in preparation for Earthbending. Most likely to trap us by pulling said element up from under the structure. Or just to throw rocks at us. We should feel lucky she wasn't already trying to punch us in the face with fireballs, undoubtedly known to her as "Plan A".  
  
I had an advantage over my older namesake, however. Namely, I had a Companion who could fight metaphysical fire with metaphysical fire. So to speak.  
  
Janias reached out with the Force, throwing a solid and entirely invisible blast of energy that staggered the other girl. She'd recover quickly but it did buy us the seconds we needed to get back into the TARDIS. "Some world you decided to visit," Janias said, smirking. "I've never seen the Force used that way before."  
  
"It's not the Force," I replied, already hitting dials to shift the TARDIS out. "Well, it is the Force, but it's not.... it's all metaphysical stuff centered around life energy or something. Very complicated." I pulled on the lever to shift us out.  
  
As I did so, there was a loud thump on the door of the TARDIS.  
  
I heard that sound and was gripped by concern. "Oh no no, don't tell me..."  
  
The TARDIS shifted violently under us, forcing me to hold onto the lever to prevent from falling over. Camilla would have hit the floor if Janias hadn't caught her and righted her, keeping one arm on a rail. I looked at readings to confirm my suspicion. "Of all the... that pigheaded stubborn...!"  
  
"Doctor, what's happening?!", Camilla asked.  
  
"Korra grabbed the TARDIS as it de-materialized!," I replied. "She's pulling us off course! I've got to take us back out of the Time Vortex before it kills her!" I quickly pushed the lever.  
  
Normally the TARDIS just re-materializes in a stationary position. But this was an emergency shift. That meant it wasn't coming out of the Time Vortex into a stable coordinate but flying out. The TARDIS now had, in three-dimensional terms, velocity.  
  
In other words, we were speeding through the air in a blue box, not the most aerodynamic of shapes, with the TARDIS's systems a little haywire on account of having a metaphysical super-being in a human form hanging onto the outside of it.  
  
The next ten seconds involved a lot of shouting. Janias and Camilla hauled Korra inside - rather easy when she was almost frozen in place by the shock of vortex exposure - and I was busy trying to decelerate the TARDIS and land her.  
  
"We've got her!", Janias shouted.  
  
"Good! Now hold on to something!", I replied.  
  
I don't suppose I need to state that I literally had _no_ experience in flying the TARDIS through three dimensions at this point? It's a rather important fact on why, well, we crashed.  
  
Through a wall.  
  
Into a building.  
  
It was going to be one of those days.

 

 

I suppose that we had some fortune on our side. The TARDIS remained upright and plowing through half the walls in the structure were enough to bring it to a stop.  
  
The central console was still sparking a little as I pulled myself back to my feet. "Any landing you can walk away from," I muttered under my breath. I looked over to my Companions and our uninvited passenger who was just now starting to stir a little. I breathed a sigh of relief at the avoided catastrophe. I had significant doubt that her Avatar Spirit would find a new host on her world if she died in the Time Vortex... or anywhere else but her homeworld.  
  
Her blue eyes darted around as she looked at each of us. She sat up, a hand on her head, and faced the TARDIS control. Her eyes widened at seeing it. "What's, where am I?" She looked up at the ceiling. "Where did you take me?!" Korra used her arms - rather muscled arms, mind you - to push her self backward and out the TARDIS door. She ended up staring at the ceiling of wherever we'd landed. A look of confusion crossed over her face. She looked back into the TARDIS. "It's..."  
  
"It's bigger on the inside," Camilla explained with a smile. "Pocket dimension."  
  
"Oi." I looked at her with mocking disapproval. "It takes all the fun out of it when one of us says it. She has to say it."  
  
Cami made a sarcastic face in reply.  
  
Korra was... well, a fish out of water. She looked out what I presumed to be a window in the building we'd crashed into. "But, we were just in Republic City. Where did you take me?"  
  
"We took you, well... I don't know," I admitted. "I didn't see where we were when I had to take us out of the Time Vortex. I was too busy getting us back to normal space so that our tagalog" - I pointed toward her for emphasis - "didn't die from exposure. In case you missed that, you were the tagalong. When will you ever learn to show any kind of restraint?"  
  
"Well, you were trying to escape!"  
  
"I'm sorry, but I didn't feel like dealing with all that bother of being arrested for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. _After_ I had nearly convinced the Equalists to give it up, by the way."  
  
"Actually, I'm not sure you were quite that close to doing that," Camilla interjected.  
  
I should have thanked Camilla. My ego needed a bit of deflation.  
  
"Guess we'll never know." I kept my eyes on Korra, wanting to make sure the fear I saw welling within her didn't turn into outright panic. "I'm the Doctor, by the way. These are my traveling Companions Janias and Camilla. We travel through space and time in my TARDIS, that is, Time And Relative Dimensions In Space. Yes, it's bigger on the inside. And she can appear as quite a few things but I prefer the police box look. Personal choice."  
  
"Who is this again?", Janias asked.  
  
"I'm Korra, you know, the Avatar," Korra answered before I could give an introduction. She crossed her arms and looked fairly impatient. "So how do I get home?"  
  
"Excuse me." I went back up to the console and checked something. "Hrm. System damage is repairing fairly well. I can probably move her through local space easily enough, but I want to let the engine repair fully before I try to return us to Republic City. Assuming I can keep Chief Bei Fong from trying to clap us in irons, it'd be nice to get to play tourist after all. I do so wanted to see Aang's statue and try some of those green noodles. Not really a fan of green noodles, but I'll try them. Just never ask me to try _gag'h_."  
  
"You mean those awful Klingon worms we almost had to eat?", Camilla asked wiht a disgusted face.  
  
"What's a Klingon?" Korra turned and faced Janias who had just turned off her holo-emitter, revealing her green pigmentation. "And... how did you turn green?"  
  
"I just turned off the holographic emitter," she answered. "I'm not Human, I'm Mirialan. An alien, I mean. I used to be a Jedi." Janias smiled and stretched an arm around Cami's shoulders. "She's mine, by the way. Don't even think about it."  
  
"So possessive my dear," Camilla giggled. She gave Janias a kiss on the lips.  
  
Korra's eyes widened and her jaw hung open. It was a look of utter confusion, moreso than when she'd realized the TARDIS was bigger on the inside. Somehow I suspected Korra's upbringing didn't include more than a very basic introduction to the birds and the bees. Janias and Camilla saw the look on her face and laughed.  
  
I suspect that the entire scene was very bad news for the Korra/Asami shippers back home. Well, presuming there isn't some alternate timeline out there where Korra and.... you know what? I'm not going to bring that up. Getting into fifth dimensional alternate paths is just too much of a bother.  
  
"Moving on," I said aloud. "I'm afraid that for the next few hours, Avatar Korra, you're stuck with us."  
  
"But... but..." Korra was still transfixed by my Companions. I don't blame her, they were rather lovely... and there I go, reaffirming my own orientation. And no, Korra/Asami shippers, that look of transfixtion was still pure confusion, not sudden realization of inner longings. I'm afraid that she's still on course for relationship disaster with "Commander Makotay". And this discussion is now over. I still have a disaster to describe.  
  
Yes. We nearly got mistaken for Equalists and arrested, then we accidentally dragged Avatar Korra across six dimensions before crashlanding the TARDIS. _And the worst part hadn't come yet._  
  
Of course, it did a moment later. For that was when I heard a crashing sound from outside the TARDIS. That broke through the awkward moment of Korra discovering alternative lifestyles and my Companions' rather mischievous enjoyment of introducing their existence. I dashed by them and was the first out of the TARDIS. They followed me out and our eyes tracked doward the knocked down wall and...  
  
People were coming in, smashing through old drywall and wood like it was paper. Their bodies took damage in the process but they didn't seem to care.  
  
Probably because they were too dead to care.  
  
"Oh, this is good," I muttered. "We just arrived in the middle of a zombie apocalypse."  
  
There was a sudden second crash and a shower of plaster above us. More of them came jumping down. In the process, they cut us off from the TARDIS.  
  
Remember we had no firearms. I had a sonic screwdriver. Sonic screwdrivers normally don't work on zombies. Cyborg zombies, sure. Normal ones re-animated by various metaphysical energies? Not something it's equipped to deal with.  
  
I found myself wishing Janias has a lightsaber.  
  
As it was, Janias and Korra went into action first. Janias threw a blow with the Force that knocked one down but barely staggered the others. Korra showed some understanding of our surroundings, going for Air instead of Fire and trying to knock them around with a flurry of air blasts. It didn't do much unfortunately; these were rather robust corpses. I was wracking my brain on where I'd heard of zombies being more powerful than normal. I'm really not much of a zombie setting expert, I confess.  
  
One grabbed Janias as she was concentrating to throw them back. She twisted to try and get away, but it wasn't enough. The thing took her and threw her across the room, causing her to slam into the far wall with a scream of pain.  
  
One reached for Korra. It took a fireball to the face for its trouble. The fire did at least seem to slow it down. Of course, some also hit the TARDIS, so my involuntary reaction was to shout, "Oi, watch the finish!"  
  
"What are these things?!", Korra asked.  
  
"What, you've never heard of the living dead?", I asked, dragging Cami with me as we went to help Janias. "Zombies, my dear Avatar. Reanimated corpses." I knelt down over Janias to scan her with the sonic screwdriver, but I could tell from how her arm was twisted that she'd had the shoulder broken, pretty much twisted out of its socket in fact.  
  
Camilla almost pushed me out of the way. "Are you ready?", she asked Janias.  
  
Janias gritted her teeth and nodded. She let out a brief cry when Camilla set her shoulder.  
  
"Since when do you know how to do that?", I asked her.  
  
"I've been a slave almost my whole life, Doctor. You learn how to take care of yourself and others," Camilla pointed out.  
  
"Uh, they're not stopping!", Korra shouted, throwing fireballs at them. Unfortunately, fire was only slowing them down. None dropped.  
  
Camilla pulled Janias to her feet. "In the pain you're in, I imagine calling on the Force is a bit out of the question," i remarked to her. "Okay everyone, time for our favorite past time."  
  
"And what's that?", Korra asked.  
  
"We _run_." Even before I said that my Companions had gone through the hole in the wall the TARDIS had made.  
  
"But I hate runniiingggggg!" The word "Running" carried a bit from surprise at me grabbing Korra by the wrist and hand to drag her with me.  
  
Credit to Korra where it's due. The girl knows the value of a tactical retreat and didn't fight me. If she had I know I'd never have been able to keep her from going back.  
  
So we ran. We ran away from my TARDIS because I knew there was no way we could've gotten through the attackers from above without getting overwhelmed from behind. I had hoped to double back at some point, maybe get around them.  
  
Instead, I ran into trouble.  
  
I _literally_ ran into trouble.  
  
We collided at a corner near the stairs. Each of us let out an oof and fell away from the other. I hit the ground before I even had a chance to take in the basic physical appearance. Thin, plain, brown hair and brown eyes.  
  
Other details demanded my attention to confirm identity, but before my brain could process them the biggest clue appeared in his hand. I looked behind me to see another of the walking dead coming from a far room.  
  
In a few more seconds, Korra could have thrown fire at the thing. It wasn't a danger. She just wouldn't get the chance.  
  
A single word sounded out through that hall.  
  
" _Fuego!_ "  
  
A solid lance of red flame, almost tight enough to be a laser, came from the wooden object in the man's right hand. It speared the approaching corpse and blasted away the thing's hips and lower spine, making it impossible for the reanimated being to move.  
  
"I've got to learn how to Firebend like that," I heard Korra gasp.  
  
I was too busy staring at the figure. But not his eyes. I knew better. I _knew_ not to stare into those brown eyes.  
  
He looked at me warily. I spoke more quickly, though.  
  
"Harry Dresden, Wizard for Hire." I extended a hand. "I'm the Doctor."  
  
Like I said. I ran into trouble.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our narrator has to confront a zombie horde with a broken TARDIS, a hot-headed young woman with phenomenal element-bending kung-fu powers who punches fireballs at people, and the sarcastic wit of Harry Dresden: Professional Wizard, Private Investigator, and All-Around Smartass. The only question is how many buildings are going to burn down before this bad day is over.

"What do you mean 'the Doctor'? Doctor...."  
  
Harry almost finished the line. But he held it off as we got back to our feet. Our similar height allowed us to see eye to eye. "Admit it, you wanted to say 'Doctor who?'," I remarked with a smirk.  
  
"You know, I've got a lot of crap on my plate right now without dealing with some nut who thinks he's a time-traveling alien," Harry remarked. "You need to get out of here, _now_."  
  
"Yes, we rather noticed the walking dead." I narrowed my eyes. "It's not Halloween, is it?"  
  
"Not this time."  
  
Okay, so that meant it was after the events of the attempted Darkhallow ritual, known to me as the "Dead Beat" case. I was going to have to be careful in what I said lest I, well, reveal to him things to come in his future. It would help to know how far along his timestream he was. His left hand being gloved didn't tell me much, unfortunately; he'd kept the glove on for quite a while after it got melted down, I recalled.  
  
Of course, I also had to be careful that I didn't convince a powerful combat wizard that I was a threat. I doubted a sonic screwdriver would do so well against his blasting rod or his kinetic charge rings either.  
  
More questions had to wait as the main gaggle of walking dead came for us, having followed my group from our TARDIS. "Get behind me." He brought the blasting rod back up and, with another evocation of " _Fuego_ " sent a beam of flame into their midst.  
  
Korra, not to be outdone, made an open palm strike motion and sent her own plume of flame down range, setting fire to zombie and crumbling drywall alike.  
  
That piqued Harry's interest more than my choice of name. "How's a kid like you pulling combat evocation without a focus?", he asked.  
  
"I want to know how you made that beam of flame. I've never seen that Firebending technique before."  
  
Seeing the two of them side by side gave me a very good glimpse at the near future of the structure we were in; namely, that it was not going to survive this meeting of minds. Buildings are hard pressed to survive Harry Dresden by himself; throw Korra and her hotheaded impulsiveness into the mix and conflagrations become as predictable as gravity.  
  
Digging the TARDIS out of a pile of ash and soot with crispy-fried zombie bits in it was not something I considered desirable. I remember thinking that I really, really needed to get to work on a remote beacon for the TARDIS...  
  
"So what's your plan besides setting fire to the general vicinity, Mister Wizard?"  
  
"Buying time for crazy English guys and their groupies to am-scray before they get ripped to pieces by zombies, Mister Doctor," was his retort.  
  
"What's a groupie?", Janias asked, confused and still undoubtedly disorientated from the broken limb.  
  
"Well, you two carry about your arson, I need to get my TARDIS before you bury it in flaming rubble."  
  
"Yes, your cardboard box is so much more important than your life, be my guest!"  
  
"Quit griping and keep Firebending!" Korra let loose with another plume of flame. It was rather effective fire compared to Harry's surgical flame lance; the plume made sure all the oncoming corpses were ignited, burning away muscle tissue and slowing them down. This, in turm, bought time for Harry to pick them off.  
  
I already knew there'd be a reckoning here. Magic in this cosmos took energy in some form; Korra's effortless Firebending from her own personal energy would be immensely suspicious.  
  
"Stay with them," I murmured to Camilla. "Their backs are the safest place in the building right now."  
  
"And what are you going to do?", she whispered back.  
  
"Get my TARDIS." I ran down a perpendicular hall. I heard Harry shout an irritated warning that the stairs were the other way but I wasn't quite paying attention to the words, so recounting them would be dicey.  
  
Thoughts were coming to my head as I tried to get back to the room with the TARDIS. In this cosmos, zombies like this were controlled externally via energy link or some such, aided by pure force of will or by music or some other focus. Could my sonic, with a bit of recalibration, interfere with this? Energy was energy, after all, whether it's light or radio or necromantic.  
  
Fighting sorcery with science had a bit of appeal, I must admit.  
  
So I set my sonic to a scan state that would let it fix onto the energy pattern and determine how to disable them. It would take it time, unfortunately.  
  
Time that I didn't have when I got into the room with the TARDIS and found it surrounded by curious zombies. "Oh, terrific." I brought my sonic out and hoped it'd learned enough. The purple light on the tip lit up as it whirred.  
  
Nothing.  
  
Oh, and, now I had more behind me. So I was trapped.  
  
"Where are they all coming from?!", I shouted in aggravation. Now I had a bunch of super-strong corpses coming after me and my sonic still couldn't effect them. I backed up toward a corner near a window, hoping I would find some option, some opening to avoid getting torn to bits.  
  
As I mused how that might effect my imminent regeneration - at least one of those might convince Harry, right? - rescue arrived.  
  
In the form of a three foot high blur of fur blasting through their ranks.  
  
Zombies toppled and even fell apart as the mound of fur charged up to me and barked.  
  
"Mouse?!" I stared at him, recognizing his size more than his appearance. He was Harry's dog - or Harry was his human, depending on your point of view - and a magical creature in his own right, a Foo dog.  
  
Mouse barked at me again.  
  
"I'm not crazy, I'm trying to rescue my TARDIS before Harry burns this building to the ground." When Mouse barked an inquiry I replied, "Well of course I know that's what'll happen. He's Harry Dresden for crying out loud!"  
  
By the way, yes, I was holding a conversation with Mouse. Yes, I could understand his barks without being turned into a hound. I'm a Time Lord now, remember? We can talk to _babies_. An intelligent canine like Mouse was even easier.  
  
There was something of a huff of resignation. Pale light seemed to gather around Mouse and off he went again, barreling through zombies. When you're a three feet tall mound of fur and muscle and weigh a hundred pounds minimum... yeah, even super-strong Dresden-cosmos zombies will have problems with that.  
  
Most importantly, the wake he left gave _me_ an opening. I followed him straight up to the TARDIS and threw the door open. There were no zombies visible but... who knew where they could be hiding? Another search of the TARDIS would be necessary, it seemed, if I couldn't find a way to use the TARDIS to cut off the necromantic energy.  
  
Something about thinking "cut off the necromantic energy" didn't seem right. Sure, the Doctor could see fantastical stuff sometimes, but it was always with some kind of science grounding. Actual honest-to-God magic is not really... well, okay, there were those witches that Tennant's Doctor had to deal with in Shakespeare's time. But that was just the one thing.  
  
Mouse barked, reminding me of the zombies still on the outside. "Yes, I know!", I shouted at him, getting up to the controls. The fact that I'd stopped briefly to consider the issue of being the Doctor in a magical setting is something of a clue to me still being a rather big nerd.  
  
I checked the status of the TARDIS. The repairs still weren't to the level of making me want to take her through six dimensions again. But I could move her out of the building easily enough. I manipulated the switch, taking the moment to snap my fingers and close the door. Mouse bounded up beside me. He barked again. "Yes, it is bigger on the inside. Despite what Harry may have told you, I am _not_ crazy. Well, mostly not crazy. A little mad, perhaps."  
  
That prompted an amused bark. I rolled my eyes.  
  
When the VWORPing ended I stepped out of the TARDIS and looked up to see the building we had just been in. I knew it was where we'd just been because I could see zombies milling on the roof and flames licking from the fourth floor.  
  
Only on the fourth floor, mind you. That was the shocker. Harry and Korra _hadn't_ burnt down the building yet.  
  
"Who are you?! How... how did you...?!"  
  
A young female voice prompted me to turn my head. A head of blond hair with purple highlights was looking my way, a lovely young woman dressed in casual clothing and more piercings than I could care to count. "Molly Carpenter, I presume? Love the hair, good choice of color." I smiled at her. "I'm the Doctor. And yes, you just saw a British police box appear out of nowhere. It's my TARDIS. I couldn't very well leave it in a building with zombies and Harry Dresden, could I?"  
  
Inwardly I was considering things. This definitely placed the timeline past the attack on Arctis Tor while her appearance made it clear this was before Chichen Itza. Unfortunately that left a few years and very important events still unknown. I fished a little. "How is your father, by the way? Still off fighting evil in the name of God?"  
  
I'd hoped to get an instinctive reaction that would tell me something more about the time frame. But poor Molly was still far too rattled. "But... but... you're just..."  
  
I remembered that the Dresden Files RPG made references to the Doctor. That made me realize how tricky this was about to be.  
  
If you want an explanation about the whole nature of reality and fictional things not being fictional, I'm afraid it will have to wait. I'm still not entirely sure of it myself and that's _after_ dealing with the issue several times.  
  
"A TV show?" I smirked, having finished her sentence for her. I was amused and curious about how I was going to handle this. This was the first time I'd run into a cosmos close enough to my own that the Doctor was a fictional being to them. "For a young lady who casts magic, that is surprisingly close-minded."  
  
There was a burst of wood that drew our attention. Harry came flying out of a broken door, Janias and Camilla behind him. Korra was taking up the rear, backing out with fire streaming from her hands. "Molly!", Harry shouted. "Did you set the wards?!"  
  
Harry's voice snapped Molly back to attention. "Uh... yeah! Yeah, I did!"  
  
He's letting her set wards in the building? Okay, so this is probably quite a bit of time after Arctis Tor if she was that experienced.  
  
Harry turned and brought his staff up. A moment later he cried " _PYROFUEGO!_ "  
  
There was no light or energy from Harry himself. Instead there was just the fierce rumble of explosions as flame erupted from almost every window and on every floor.  
  
"Well, that's a big shock," I said. "Harry Dresden goes into a building and now it's burning. Must be Tuesday around here."  
  
"I've got to learn how to do that," I heard Korra say with astonishment.  
  
My mental response was "No, my dear, you really don't." Naturally I didn't say such out loud. I do have some tact.  
  
"Now that I've got that out of the way..." He turned and went up to me. As he did so he spotted the TARDIS. "So you're not as stupid as I thought. Find your spare?"  
  
"I understand your skepticism. I know I'm not close to the Tom Baker look. More of a Tennant man myself. A bit of Smith. Maybe a bit of Pertwee too, never much saw the original ones."  
  
"Smith? Who?"  
  
Mouse let out a bark and ran up to the TARDIS door. I turned and said, "If you want. He is rather thick-headed and I left my stethoscope in the TARDIS anyway."  
  
With a push from his right forepaw, Mouse opened the TARDIS so that both Molly and Harry could look inside.  
  
I gave them a minute. Harry went so far as to step inside and then step back out. He looked back toward me. "So, what? You're a Sidhe who has an infatuation with 'Doctor Who'?"  
  
"What kind of Sidhe travels around in a blue box?", I retorted. "Or could create a pocket dimension like that? Listen, we need to have a private chat." I got a little closer so I could whisper and no one else could hear me. "I need to ask you about Lash."  
  
Harry's eyes didn't widen, but I did sense surprise and anger. I wondered if I had overplayed my hand.  
  
"I'll be right back," he said to Molly. I nodded to the others and entered the TARDIS, closing it behind us. He followed me up to the controls. "Okay, what the hell is this?"  
  
"First things first. No, I'm not actually the Doctor. I was a Human being living a perfectly ordinary life when I found myself, well.... long story short, I was dropped into a dangerous situation and when it killed me, I regenerated. I'm a Time Lord now. And given my situation, well, I had a moment of bravado and told a very angry man I was the Doctor. Boy, I was lucky to get away from that one. So here I am calling myself the Doctor because, well, why not?"  
  
"So you think you're a Time Lord?", he asked, still showing skeptiicism.  
  
I picked up a stethoscope I'd placed - for this very purpose - on the central control and handed it to him, keeping the receiver myself and putting it inside my shirt over the right side of my chest. Looking skeptical he nevertheless put the scope on and listened to my heartbeat. I moved the stethoscope to the other side of my chest.  
  
The look on his face was almost priceless.  
  
"I'll point out that I think it's got some steel in it. What Sidhe would want to be touched by that stuff?", I added.  
  
"So this is a TARDIS?", he asked.  
  
"Yes. No, I don't know how I got it, or my other tools." I held up the sonic screwdriver.  
  
"Purple?", Harry asked, sounding a little incredulous.  
  
"What's wrong with purple? I like purple," I responded. "Apparently, my unknown benefactor realized that. Hrm."  
  
I hadn't thought of that before. Whomever it was knew I liked purple. It was something I had to mull over.  
  
"So why did you ask about Lash?", he asked.  
  
Ah, yes. Harry was just starting to get careful and clever given the other beings he'd had to deal with so far. A question that asked what he needed without admitting to Lash's existence was a good move on his part. "Let's just say that the Doctor isn't the only being I previously believed to be fictional," I answered carefully.  
  
Harry stared at me. "So I'm..."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"And how far..."  
  
"Far enough."  
  
We had silence for several moments as he digested the news. Seeing he was having problems I made a gentle proposition. "I suggest we ask Bob about this. I have some suspicions about how the Nevernever works with this issue."  
  
"So you know my future?", he asked. I could see the concern in his face.  
  
"Some potential futures, yes," I replied. "No, I can't say anything. I may not be obligated to follow the Sixth Law but I do have to be careful with the timelines. You don't know the damage I could do if I told you about the future."  
  
The very thought of the damage I could cause made me shudder. Telling Harry the things to come... it would change the decisions he made and possibly doom everything he loved in the process.  
  
"So that explains the whole song and dance about Lash," he replied.  
  
"Yes." I drew in a breath. "It won't surprise you to learn you have hard times ahead, Harry. All I can say is... stay true to who you are and everything will work out as it needs to."  
  
The door opened. "Uh, Harry, I can hear sirens," Molly said. The other door opened to admit the others.  
  
I nodded at that. "And I'm suspecting you don't want the constabulary knowing you were here. Where's your car?"  
  
"Shop," Harry answered. "We had a ride."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"My mother," Molly answered.  
  
I had a mental image of Charity Carpenter driving them here. Before I could even think not to, I was busy laughing.  
  
"Less of the laughing like a jackass, more of the getting the hell out of here," Harry insisted.  
  
I stopped laughing, although some chuckles were still coming. "Yes, very much so." I reached for the TARDIS control. "Janias, how's the arm?"  
  
"It still hurts," Janias answered through clenched teeth.  
  
"That it will," I mused. "Korra, you learned healing from Master Katara, right? Have the girls show you to the swimming pool to get the water you need."  
  
"You have a swimming pool in here?", Korra asked, confused.  
  
"It's in the library," I answered. "Nothing like a good book and a gentle relaxing swim, you know." I pulled back on the lever.

 

 

 

The TARDIS door opened and we stepped out, finding ourselves just outside of Harry's apartment. "I hope the landlady doesn't ask me about having a police box in the yard," Harry muttered.  
  
"Are you going to tell her?", I asked pointedly. The truth is, I didn't know where Harry lived, not on any map sense. The TARDIS brought us here. I looked back to see the others coming out. "I doubt your apartment has room for all of us."  
  
"It doesn't need it. If you're staying overnight, you've got a pocket dimension to sleep in," Harry pointed out. He went to his door and began removing the wards.  
  
I looked to Janias. Korra was standing beside her, looking fairly intent on the injured arm as she kept a field of shining blue water over it. "How are you feeling?"  
  
"Better." Janias smiled a little and looked to Korra. "She's not bad compared to the Jedi healers I've known. Maybe we should bring her along?"  
  
I could understand the sentiment, but I couldn't quite explain why Korra had to stay exactly where she was with her still standing there. She pulled the field of water back into a bottle that the others had provided her.  
  
"Thanks... uh..." Korra had that confusion come back. "What's a Jedi?"  
  
"Think of them as Energybenders from another galaxy," I remarked. "Just that they don't bend Energy as you'd see it."  
  
"Can't you ever make sense, just once?!", Korra shouted. "And what's a galaxy anyway?"  
  
I heard a grunt and saw Harry trying to force his front door open. I remembered that after he rebuilt his door from the last time he dealt with zombies he'd put in a new metal security door that gave him trouble. Before he could start to bang it open with his shoulder I brought my sonic up and turned it on, allowing its effects to gently nudge the door open. Harry looked back at me and shook his head. "Show off." He entered first. "And this is not an invitation for you to enter, by the way. You are not invited."  
  
I entered anyway. As it turned out, Time Lords didn't have the same restrictions that magical creatures of this world did. Nor did the Avatar or Jedi going by the reactions of Korra and Janias.  
  
We entered and a big ball of fur immediately went up to Harry. It was his cat, the aptly named Mister. Said cat looked at me, yowled with displeasure, and bounded away. "Well, someone doesn't like me," I muttered.  
  
"Mister has excellent taste in people," Harry needled. " _Flickum bicis_." Candles across the apartment lit with flame for light.  
  
"This world has lights, right?", Camilla asked, stepping in behind Molly. Harry retreated into the bedroom.  
  
"Yes," I answered. "But magic practitioners emit a field that interferes with the operation of technology. Light bulbs and electrical fields are included."  
  
"Sucks to be them," Janias murmured. She went over to the couch and sat down.  
  
Korra was busy taking in the sights while Camilla joined Janias on the couch. Molly closed the door behind us and re-activated some of the defensive wards. She looked to me. "So... you're the actual Doctor?"  
  
"More like a doppelganger," I answered. "I already explained things to Harry, you can ask him later. And speaking of Mister Dresden..."  
  
He came back out with something in his hand. "A Sidhe could shapeshift," he said, walking up to me. "I need to be absolutely sure."  
  
I felt a pricking pain on my hand and drew it up. I could see now where Harry had pressed a metal nail against my hand enough to make me bleed. My blood was now on the nail. He eyed it intently. "Satisfied?", I aseked, reaching in my pocket for a napkin.  
  
"With you, yeah," Harry answered. "And now for the rest of you."  
  
The prickings continued. If not for the warning I suspected Janias and Korra would have made him pay for it, but instead we were all rubbing our little wounds while Harry continued to observe each nail and the blood with it. When he was satisfied it wasn't boiling or anything he tossed the nails into the fire. It was a gesture to instill trust; for wizards having someone's blood gave you all sorts of options for inflicting injury on them or having power over them.  
  
"What was that for?", Korra demanded.  
  
"He's making sure we're not Sidhe," I answered. "Beings of Faerie have a severe allergy to iron." I looked back to Harry. "We all pass as Human? Well, near-Human enough in a couple of cases." I was quick to correct myself not just on Janias' account but my own. I was still having times when I thought of myself as Human, not Time Lord. The scary part was that they were decreasing. I was getting used to being a Time Lord.  
  
"Yeah." Harry looked behind me to Molly. "If they want anything check the pantry. I'll be downstairs with Doc here."  
  
"You and your nicknames," I muttered.  
  
Harry led the way into the basement of his apartment and the magical lab there. I could see one of the workspaces arranged for Molly's studies and the scale model version of Chicago that he'd painstakingly assembled. I brought my sonic out and did a quick scan of it, tesitng my growing theories on magic and energy.  
  
"Please, please don't mess with that," Harry pleaded. "Okay Bob, I need you to wake up. We've got something crazy going on here."  
  
I had spotted the Human skull already thanks to the plethora of romance books scattered around it. The eye sockets lit up with golden energy. "You're going to have to narrow.... oh, wow. Yeah, crazy. Extra-dimensional visitor, Harry?"  
  
"So he says," Harry answered, looking from the skull to me. "He's not Sidhe and he didn't flinch at crossing the threshold uninvited. And he's got two hearts. He says he's a Human turned into a Time Lord."  
  
"Eh, not too big a change. I'm not sure of everything that goes into being a Time Lord, but they're structurally close enough to Humans. Not counting the insides, of course." Bob's glowing eyes seemed to shift a little, as if he were looking at me. "So, your name?"  
  
"I'm the Doctor," I responded.  
  
"No, I'm talking about what you were before. What was your name?"  
  
Here is where things got scary. I could feel it start to form in my head and move toward my tongue, but it was like the name had become slippery. My mind couldn't focus on it without it sliding back into forgetfulness. "I... I..."  
  
"What? It's an easy question." Harry crossed his arms. "And don't tell me it's Harry. I want to hear something better. Give me a Tom, a Rick, a Josh, or Bob. Maybe even a Steve."  
  
"I...." I put a hand up to my forehead. Pain surged into my temple as I fought with my head, trying to force the memory of my name out, but I couldn't.  
  
"Uh, that's not good," I heard Bob say. "Pal, I think you were given a major brain whammy."  
  
"What do you mean?", I gasped.  
  
"Someone locked your mind down. They took everything that made you, well, you and put it in a nice box with a 'do not touch' sign written memetically across your brain." Bob whistled. "That... that's some major mental mojo right there. Most beings I know that could do it wouldn't have stopped there, they'd have played with your personality too."  
  
"They didn't have to," I said. "I was put in a place where I'd get killed and forced to regenerate."  
  
"And that changes personality, huh?"  
  
"Yeah, it usually does," Harry remarked. "So they didn't have to bother. And maybe they didn't want to. Changing a being's mind like that can cause a lot of damage."  
  
"And then they gave me a sonic screwdriver, psychic paper, and a key to a TARDIS. Even stocked the dressing room with recreations of the Doctor's preferred clothing." I went over to a chair and sat in it, my hand still on my temple. This mystery was taking on a sinister tinge. "They even made the screwdriver purple. It's my favorite color."  
  
"So, someone wants you to go around doing Doctor-y things," Bob remarked.  
  
"I'm simply wondering why."  
  
"So, Bob, you're telling me that this stuff isn't just from a TV show?", Harry asked.  
  
"Oh, it is. You mortals always underestimate the power of thought. And once you get into stuff involving six-dimensional space? Things get groovy. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if _we're_ fictional somewhere."  
  
Harry coughed and glanced at me.  
  
Bob took the hint. "...wow, really?"  
  
"Umm, yeah," I replied, feeling like the conversation was getting very insane very quickly.  
  
"So, like... movies? TV show?"  
  
"Books." I drew in a sigh. "And a television adaptation that, I suspect, is its own separate cosmos."  
  
"That doesn't sound good. Who plays me?"  
  
"Some old guy. Uh... they reimagined you as a Human sorcerer who's spirit was bound to a skull."  
  
"Wow, talk about no imagination. Making me mortal, they took away the best parts of me! I feel sorry for that other Bob, wherever he is out in the six dimensions." Bob made a disappointed sound. "So, uh... who are the babes upstairs? I can hear Molly has friends and there's a big source of spiritual power somewhere around them."  
  
"My companions Janias and Camilla. And my unexpected passenger." I briefly laid out who and what Korra was and how the day had started.  
  
"Sounds like you've had a worse day than Harry's," Bob remarked. "That takes a _lot_ of effort."  
  
"You know, I appreciate your problems, Doc, but in case you noticed, I have a big one right now."  
  
"You never answered me about Lash," I pointed out.  
  
"No, I didn't," he answered irritably.  
  
"Oh, she's gone," Bob said. "Took a psychic bullet for Harry."  
  
I could see Harry wasn't happy with Bob revealing that. I suspected Bob had done so because he could see what I was doing; establishing a timeline, or at least how far along they were, without even hinting at the future. "Well, I was about to point out that compared to prior problems you've had a building full of zombies is hardly apocalyptic." Or compared to the problems he was going to end up facing. "So, I'm guessing you're looking for a source of necromantic energy somewhere in the city?"  
  
"Yes." Harry went up to Little Chicago. "I'm just having trouble finding it."  
  
"How did you find the building I was in?"  
  
"Other means," he answered.  
  
"Ah. Good old fashioned detective work then. Guess there was a nearby cemetary that had vandalisms or some such." I brought my sonic out. "Would a sample of the necromantic energy help?"  
  
"I don't touch that stuff, skirts the Fifth Law too much."  
  
"Sue the T-Rex says otherwise."  
  
"That was an emergency situation, exception to the rule."  
  
I nodded and pointed the sonic screwdriver at Little Chicago. I pressed a function key and enjoyed the sight of the purple tip lighting up and that resonating whir my sonic always gave off.  
  
Harry looked up to me. "I told you not to mess with it! Don't you understand how delicate..."  
  
"Harry?"  
  
"...how _sensitive_..."  
  
"Uh, Harry?"  
  
"...this thing is? You could make it blow up in my face if you..."  
  
"Harry, _look!_ "  
  
I had remained quiet, unable to completely removed an amused smirk, until Bob finally got Harry's full attention. Harry looked back to the model. An area of it, presumably including the building he had just burned down, was glowing distinctly dark-purple. "How did you do that?", Harry asked.  
  
"I took a sample of the energy fields in the building," I answered. "My sonic's been processing it since. I'm hoping I can disrupt the control field if we find any more."  
  
"Yeah." Harry leaned over. He pointed to one of the miniature features. "We've got a cemetary here... and an entrance to Undertown over here."  
  
"Well, that's not good, is it?", I muttered. "I'm guessing that could be where our necromancer friend is hiding?"  
  
"Likely."  
  
We could hear a knock come from above. "I'm not expecting visitors." Harry went to the stairs.  
  
As I went to follow, I heard Bob call out, "Hey, Doc, a moment."  
  
I stopped on the second step and looked back. "Yes?"  
  
"I know it sucks, not being able to think of your real name... but you might want to think a bit on taking the name of another being like that."  
  
"What do you mean?", I asked. I glanced back upstairs; I could hear conversation and wanted to see what was going on.  
  
Bob sighed. "Why is it that you mortals can be so dense about these things? Why do you think the guy who changed you locked away your name in your head? It's because that name symbolizes everything that is you. It's what you are, well, were. Now you're going around calling yourself the Doctor. There's another Doctor out there, right?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Names have power, Doc. They make up what a being is. Look at me. Do you think I acted like this and talked like this with the Humans I served before? I'm guessing you know the answer, right?"  
  
I nodded. I knew what Bob had been with prior masters. I made another impatient glance up the stairs, thinking of the necromancer situation as I did so.  
  
"Then along comes big dumb Harry the wiseass and he names me Bob. Now I sit in his basement and read smutty books and act like, wait for it, a wiseass. And you know Lash. He gave her a nickname, and look what happened to her. He turned the shadow of a Fallen Angel inside out until she sacrificed herself for him. _Hint, hint_."  
  
"Like Harry is quite capable of doing." I swallowed. "So, what you're saying is..."  
  
"What I'm saying, Doc, is that you gotta be careful going around calling yourself the Doctor. It's going to change you, it's already started to change you. And you might not like how it ends up."  
  
In a moment of gross stupidity, I remarked, "So, I'm going to start becoming more like the Doctor if I keep calling myself the Doctor? You know, I don't quite see the problem with that."  
  
"Are you sure, pal? Are you sure this Doctor of your's is such a wholesome guy that you can take becoming him _completely_ , his faults too?"  
  
Looking back, Bob's warnings were spot on. I wish I'd listened more carefully to them. But I was more set on the issue of necromancers and Chicago being threatened by a plague of the walking dead. "I'll be careful," I insisted.  
  
"Yeah, yeah. Just don't cry to me when it all goes bad."  
  
As it turned out, I didn't. Bob would get to say "I told you so", though.  
  
When I ascended the stairs, we had a newcomer in the apartment. If her police jacket wasn't enough of a give-away of who she was, her being the shortest figure in the room was more than enough. Harry saw me emerge. "Hey Murph, this is the jackass who parked that call box illegally."  
  
A skeptical look was in those fiery blue eyes as I was immediately scrutinized by Sergeant Karrin Murphy, Harry's ally on the Chicago Police Department. "Murph, is it?", I asked politely.  
  
"So what, you found your long lost brother and he grew up in England?", Murphy asked Harry with a sarcastic grin. "At least you've got someone else who wears your size now."  
  
"No relation there, thankfully," he answered. "This is Sergeant Karrin Murphy, Chicago PD Special Investigations."  
  
"Ah, hello Sergeant." I extended a hand. "I'm the Doctor."  
  
"Yeah, because the English police box outside wasn't a giveaway of who you're cosplaying," she remarked sarcastically. "I think you're missing the scarf, pal."  
  
"Uh, Karrin..." Harry cleared his throat. "You were saying something?"  
  
"Yeah. We're getting reports of some sort of riot..."  
  
"...and the rioters are proving remarkably resilient against bullets," I finished for her. "And look like they're made up to be zombies, correct?"  
  
"Yeah." She looked to Harry. "I was out of town when this happened the last time. It can't be the same guy, can it?"  
  
"Nah, he's gone," Harry answered. "We've got someone new here."  
  
"Well, we've got to do something about this before SWAT burns down the neighborhood."  
  
"And that we will, my dear Sergeant," I remarked. "Harry, now that we have a general vicinity I can use the TARDIS to track a closer location. If our source of trouble is within Undertown a surface approach is probably a bad idea."  
  
Murphy eyed me with skepticism that had made Harry's earlier disbelief look like pure faith. "Is this guy for real, Harry?"  
  
"Yeah, he is," Harry answered.  
  
"I trust you completely Harry, you know that, but.... I mean, I used to watch PBS as a kid and..."  
  
"Sergeant, this way please." I stepped out the door and headed toward the TARDIS, noting Murphy's motorcycle was parked not far from the door. The others followed me out, smiles on the faces of my Companions as they eagerly awaited the resulting reaction.  
  
It would probably bore to repeat the whole thing, but yes, Murphy was astounded, and yes, she made the obvious statement about the TARDIS being bigger on the inside. I smiled widely. "It's always fun to hear people say that." Behind her Harry walked in with the others, Mouse included. "So, getting ready to track... are you really bringing Molly for this?", I asked.  
  
"Only to keep the TARDIS hidden inside a veil," he answered. "We'll need to cover our escape route."  
  
Yes, I imagine Harry didn't want Charity Carpenter coming by to toss him from a window should her little girl be hurt fighting zombies.  
  
"Ah, good. I haven't gotten the hang of the invisibility circuit yet." I went up to the controls. "Sergeant, given your body armor and firearms I would guess you are ready for action?" When she nodded in reply I looked to the others. "Janias, how about you?"  
  
"Arm's still sore, but I can help," she replied.  
  
"Okay. You and Cami will stay and protect Molly. If she can't hide the TARDIS well enough I want you to get in and lock the door. The defenses will keep them out." I looked toward Korra. "And as for you. We could use your help on this, Korra."  
  
"You've got it." Korra smacked her fists together and grinned. "This is the kind of thing I'm meant for."  
  
"A word of warning, Korra." My expression turned serious as I approached her. "You need to be careful. This isn't your cosmos. I can't be sure your Avatar Spirit will find its way back if something happens to you."  
  
I saw some concern cross her face. "You mean..."  
  
"At best, the Avatar Spirit will find some child being born that is spiritually close enough to Earth Kingdom standard to be a host. At worst... it could get lost in the spirit realms attached to this cosmos or even fade into nothingness." I put a hand on her shoulder. "If you want, you can stay and protect the TARDIS. It'll be safer."  
  
For a moment I saw doubt flicker in Korra's eyes. But it was replaced by fiery determination a moment later. "So? Nothing's going to happen to me, okay? _Nothing._ I'm the Avatar and I'm going in there to put down whatever maniac is making dead bodies walk around and attack people."  
  
I had to smile at that one. I noticed Harry was smirking and Murphy, perhaps a little confused still about just who Korra was, still showed appreciation at her spirit. "Okay then." I turned and returned to the controls. "I'm scanning for the energy field, I'll get us as close as we can get." I manipulated controls and allowed the TARDIS to find and lock onto the necromantic energy. "Last chance to back out."  
  
No one said a thing.  
  
"Okay." Despite the danger of the situation, the moment was getting to me. I had Harry Dresden, Karrin Murphy, _and_ Avatar Korra in my TARDIS, all primed and ready to go tackle an unknown threat to the city. And I would be right there alongside them.  
  
Whatever had been done to my mind, I apparently still had enough of my old mind to be on the verge of a major fanboy nerdgasm at the prospect.  
  
The TARDIS confirmed a lock and a new set of coordinates. I put my hand on the lever. As I pulled it, I let out a gleeful shout of "Tally ho!"  
  
It was time to go hunt some zombies.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our narrator and his new allies go off to confront the zombies in their underground lair, where they will face the cause of the undead uprising... and that there are some things scarier than zombie hordes.

We didn't have to wait long before we found our first zombies.  
  
Remember how the TARDIS was left briefly unattended in the building Harry had burnt to the ground? My scans had shown nothing of import afterward so I hadn't worried about it.  
  
It turned out that it was not because there were no zombies, but because, well... I'll get to that.  
  
When we finished materializing I brought out my sonic. "I'll set the sonic to guide us toward higher concentrations of the necromantic energy. Just a quick test and...."  
  
When I turned it on, the sonic immediately began pulsing rapidly. "Oh, that's not good."  
  
"Down!" Murphy's shout echoed through the control room as her pistol came up. Everyone got out of the way and gave her the opening to fire. Fire she did, creating thundercracks that were deafening.  
  
I wasn't happy with a gun being fired inside my TARDIS, but there were more concerns at the moment. Namely, the trio of zombies that had slipped into the TARDIS before and were now coming straight for me.  
  
Murphy's bullets tore through muscle and flesh, but they were still coming. Figuring it was now or never I switched the sonic and tried the disruption again.  
  
Thankfully, it worked this time. The trio collapsed just as they reached for me.  
  
Of course, that meant I now had three rotting bodies in my TARDIS. The bad day luck was still on a roll.  
  
Harry was looking around, his finger up. "Does anyone hear anything?"  
  
We all looked around, wondering what he meant. "I don't," I said.  
  
"Something's not right."  
  
"Well, we have something animating corpses, that's likely to never be right," I pointed out.  
  
Harry looked at me with irritation. "Where's the beat? Where's the rhythm for the zombies?"  
  
I have to admit, I'd mostly forgotten that little detail. And remembering it created some very unsettling questions.  
  
Murphy asked the obvious. "Zombies have rhythm?"  
  
"It simulates their missing heartbeat," I remarked, drawing a dirty look from Harry. "So sorry. I forgot, you handle the magic stuff and I handle the science."  
  
Harry rolled his eyes. "What he said."  
  
"I didn't hear anything, though," Cami said. "And not at the building either."  
  
"It can be a very silent beat. Someone thumping something on their leg works if they're powerful enough."  
  
"We were the only living people in that building," Janias insisted.  
  
"Can someone direct an undead without the heartbeat, then?" I looked to him.  
  
"Shouldn't be possible," Harry insisted. "It's part of the package. It's a fake heartbeat, a simulation of life that makes the corpse work like that."  
  
"So another source...."  
  
Korra let out a breath. "Hey, why don't we just go out there and put a stop to this instead of sitting around waiting for them to jump us."  
  
I couldn't help it. I glared at her. "Yes, because leaping before you look worked so well for you earlier, didn't it?"  
  
That got me a glower in reply.  
  
"Why don't we brainstorm on the way?" Murphy put a fresh clip in. "The more time we waste, the longer we give this sick bastard to overwhelm us."  
  
"A good idea." I double-checked my screens. "I got us as close as we can, but the TARDIS can't lock on any closer, so no changing position to surprise. We go from here."  
  
"Alright, we stick to plan then." Harry nodded to Molly. "Grasshopper, give them a veil."  
  
Molly nodded and stepped up to the door, ready to bring the veil as soon as we were out. "Before we go..." Harry looked to Korra. "Hey, Avatar, we need to charbroil those zombies so they don't come back."  
  
"Sure." Korra had that look that makes a property owner feel very self-conscious. I watched her make a quick movement and coat the zombie remains in flames.  
  
I let out a sigh. We were going to have to do some cleanup in the TARDIS when this was all over.  
  
Presuming we walked out of this alive, of course.  
  
"A quick moment, then." I motioned for Camilla and Janias to walk to the side with me. "If anything happens to me, I want you to get into the TARDIS and initiate Emergency Protocol 1."  
  
They shook their heads. "Why? What will it do?"  
  
"It'll take you somewhere better, somewhere you'll be safe," I replied. "A peaceful point in the timeline of your home galaxy. You'll be happy there. And if Harry doesn't make it either, you should invite Molly."  
  
Janias made a face at that. "Are you sure? I feel a bit of darkness within that one."  
  
"Yes, and in Harry too I imagine." I drew in a breath. "She made a mistake when she learned of her power. She was trying to do something good and it backfired horribly. Under the rules of the magic-users of this world, _any_ violation of the Laws of Magic is punished by death unless someone steps forward to ward the accused. Few ever do so because if the accused slips again they'll be executed too. Harry stepped forward for Molly. If something happens to him, the old sentence comes back into force. They'll kill her without hesitation and I sincerely doubt she'll get another sponsor."  
  
Janias' jaw clenched. Undoubtedly that practical streak of her's was warring with the Jedi principles she'd been raised in. Eliminating a threat before it became a threat was a very practical solution, after all, if one didn't mind the dirty business of lopping a teenager's head off without regard to motive.  
  
"Your galaxy is well equipped to deal with Molly if she were to fall to the Dark Side, so to speak," I assured them. "But she deserves the chance."  
  
Janias and Camilla looked at each other. "Agreed."  
  
"Okay. Be careful."  
  
"May the Force be with you," Janias said.  
  
I smiled at her. "Finally breaking out the Jedi farewell, Jan? Thank you for the thought." I turned and walked to the entrance where the others were waiting. I gripped my sonic in my hand and tried to stop my hearts from racing ever faster. This wasn't the first time I'd been in danger, but I felt something in the air, something that told me this occasion was of far greater weight than earlier ones.  
  
Harry looked up from where he was talking to Mouse. "I'm leaving my fuzzball behind to give your Jedi girl and her friend some muscle."  
  
"A good plan, that," I replied. "So, ladies and 'gentleman'..." Harry made a face showing he could hear the quotation marks on "gentleman", so to speak. "Shall we be off?"  
  
And so we left the TARDIS.  
  
  
  
  
Undertown is a place that easily lent itself to nightmares. Here, in the old buried parts of Chicago, the sun was never seen and all sorts of creatures could come out without warning. A suitable hiding place for a necromancer, all things told.  
  
Harry and I were at point, my sonic and his blasting rod at the ready. Murphy took up our rear with Korra in the middle ready to support either side. It was, tactically, the best formation we could manage, and made us ready for facing the inevitable zombie horde.  
  
"So, any ideas on the lack of music?", Korra asked.  
  
"A couple and none of them good," Harry admitted.  
  
"Do enlighten us," I asked.  
  
"All I can think of is that if this guy's got a lot of power maybe he's found a way to control the corpses with his own heartbeat," Harry replied. "Or..."  
  
"Or...?"  
  
"He's not quite Human anymore," Harry conceded. "If he was Human at all."  
  
"So like you, Dresden, to assume it has to be a guy," Murphy mumbled from the rear.  
  
I swallowed. "Harry, are you thinking this could be someone who's used the Darkhallow?"  
  
From the corner of my sight I saw him shake his head. "No, someone on that scale would be causing a lot more havoc."  
  
"Then what else do we have?"  
  
"Nothing," he conceded. "We'll have to find out when we get there."  
  
As the energy grew I knew we were almost to our objective.  
  
Of course, this was entirely the appropriate time for the zombies to attack. From both sides.  
  
Harry's blasting rod came up. " _Fuego!_ "  
  
Not to be outdone, I smirked and cried out, " _Sonico!_ " as I turned my sonic on. Harry's flame beam blasted one line apart while the other collapsed like a puppet with strings cut... an apt analogy if I do say so myself.  
  
Harry glanced over at me. "No," he bluntly remarked.  
  
"You're no fun," I retorted. "How many graveyards are around here?"  
  
"A couple. And when you count all the dead bodies left down here over the years..." Harry let loose with another beam. "We're going to be doing this all night."  
  
There were thundercracks behind us from Murphy's pistol. "I wish I had my other gun," she grumbled, clearly referring to the rather illegal P90 gifted to her once. "This couldn't have happened while I was off-duty, couldn't it?!"  
  
"I would think you were familiar with the concept of 'Murphy's Laws', Sergeant!", I shouted in reply.  
  
"Keep it up, Doc, and pow! I'll give you one right in the kisser!"  
  
Apparently Korra got that because she laughed. Kicking and punching moves saw eruptions of flame that went down the tunnel, punctuated by blasts of intense air to drive the zombies back from our rear when they drew too close.  
  
I directed the sonic over another group of oncoming corpses. Unfortunately I wasn't able to take such down permanently; the moment my sonic's disruption field moved away the corpses began to stand. It did buy time for Harry to blast them, at least. We alternated in this way just as Korra swapped between fire and air to keep the rear clear; Murphy contributed with shots to vital organs whenever she could manage.  
  
This was the first real fight for my life I'd been in since I'd regenerated. The fact that I had these three at my side made it seem far more enjoyable than it should have been. But don't let that fool you. This fight was _frightening_. The space was so dark that only with the illumination of Harry and Korra's flames was visibility over the level of "shadow" over ten feet. The air stank of rotting flesh and waste. This was the scene for a horror tale, not an action-adventure.  
  
And I honestly wasn't sure I'd walk away from this.  
  
The issue was that Harry couldn't keep this up all night; he was quickly burning through his available personal energy and the local energy was primarily necromantic now. Murphy had only so much ammunition and Korra would tire eventually as well. If we kept fighting here we would be overwhelmed. "Harry, any ideas on how to clear these things quickly?"  
  
"It's too confined to go crazy with fire," he remarked. "We need something to dampen the magic sustaining them."  
  
"Like?"  
  
"A stream maybe," he remarked sarcastically. "But they don't have those down here..." His expression changed to show a realization had struck him. He looked up as the same one hit me.  
  
Water pipes.  
  
"So the trick is not getting drowned." Harry looked back for a quick moment, having flamebroiled another zombie. "Hey, Korra, you do water too right?"  
  
"Yeah. Water Tribe girl here, remember?"  
  
"Never heard of 'em."  
  
"Isn't there a rock band called that?", Murphy added after putting a bullet into a zombie's hip bone to lame it.  
  
Korra's question reminded me of how different her world was. "What does Earthbending have to do with any of this?"  
  
Murphy laughed. "A teenager who doesn't know rock and roll, I've gotta put this one in the record book..."  
  
"Perhaps a little more planning?" - I ducked a zombie who got close enough to grab at me and brought it down with my sonic screwdriver -"And a little less wisearse banter?"  
  
"Being a wiseass is my thing, okay?", Harry shot back. He made a punching motion and unleashed the kinetic energy in his charge rings, creating a blast of force that sent the entire gaggle ahead of us flying backward over each other. "That's like asking Spider-Man to not wisecrack. You just don't do that."  
  
"So if we provide you a source of water, could you send it running along both sides to wash the zombies out?" I asked Korra.  
  
"Uh, sure. What good will that do?"  
  
"Running water grounds out magic," Harry explained. "A good stream of it and they'll be out for a bit."  
  
"Any time!" Murphy jumped back to avoid a zombie and allowed Korra to set it on fire.  
  
"I can open a hole, but you'll need to seal it shut," I said to Harry. "Can your flame weld it?"  
  
"If Korra holds back the running water from it, yes."  
  
"Alright then." I raised my sonic above my head and triggered a solid sonic burst to create a hole in the pipe.  
  
Water poured out and made a spiral as Korra moved her arms in a matching motion, taking control of it. She gathered several spirals of water to flow around her before she set her feet and pointed outward with both arms. The water gushed to both sides, narrowly avoiding us. It wasn't quite strong enough to knock zombies over on its own. As it turned out, it didn't need to be. The running water sapped away the energy animating them, as planned. One by one they fell.  
  
"That should do it," Harry said. "Hold it in the pipe now."  
  
Korra raised her hands with palms out, like she was holding a weight. Harry lifted his blasting rod. One " _Fuego_ " later and a lance of flame was melting the metal, welding shut the hole I had created.  
  
The path was clear of zombies now. "Ugh." Korra grimaced in disgust as we advanced onward. She opened her palm and set fire to a pile of them. "Eww. I've got wet zombie on my shoes."  
  
"Occupational hazard, kid," Harry replied.  
  
"There are things far worse," I added. I held my sonic up with it set back to scanning mode. "And on we go."  
  
The running water had diluted the energy signature somewhat, but I was able to continue tracking the higher concentration ahead. None of our remaining engagements were that exciting. A zombie or two would be spotted, I would hit them with my sonic's disruption, and Harry and Korra would make with the flames.  
  
We got to a ruined wooden door. "The source of the energy is here," I said. I noted, with curiosity, the traces of another power source. Perhaps, I reasoned, the external source of the necromancer's power?  
  
We were about to find out.  
  
Murphy drew her gun and took up a position beside the door with Harry and I on the other. Korra opted to be the door buster, and bust it she did; a solid column of swirling air straight from her fist into the rotten wood. It cracked and splintered under the force of her Airbending. She stormed in, arms raised in a stance ready to fight, and shouted, "It's over, give yourself up!"  
  
Harry and I exchanged a look that said a lot about overeager teenage girls. Murphy snorted from what I presumed to be amusement. We entered in behind her, just in time to see Korra's stance change.  
  
One might have expected a man in a dark robe hissing at us, ready to unleash his hordes of undead upon the interlopers of his sanctum. Or some eldritch abomination plotting to destroy the world, ready to devour the hapless mortals who had dared to enter its presence.  
  
It was none of those things.  
  
Instead we were treated to a red-eyed, tearful boy of no more than sixteen, if not less, standing over the pale, motionless body of a slightly older boy. The resemblance was an obvious one. Both were in tattered clothing that reeked and looked like they hadn't known a bath in years.  
  
"Okay, that's not what I was expecting," Murphy admitted, pointing her gun low.  
  
I pointed the sonic at him and saw the light begin to flash rapidly.  
  
We had found our necromancer.  
  
The boy looked up at us. "Help me!", he cried. "My brother's hurt! Help!"  
  
Not exactly what we expected from the encounter.  
  
  
  
  
Murphy, ever the policewoman, rushed to his side. She put her hand on the boy's neck. "I've got a heartbeat."  
  
I walked up and waved the sonic over him, set to medical scanner mode. I looked at the results. I couldn't help but sigh. "The body's alive but that's all. I'm picking up over seventy-five percent brain damage."  
  
"I'll deal with this." Korra unhooked the bottle of swimming pool water she'd used to heal Janias earlier. I reached for her, knowing it was futile, but she brushed me aside. She popped the top off and brought the water out with a move of her hand. She formed it into a bubble shape and set it over the older boy's head, covering it completely save for his face. The water began to glow. "Come on, I can feel you in there, I know..."  
  
"Korra..." I shook my head. "That's the necromantic energy. It's sustaining this boy's body."  
  
"He'll come back!", the younger boy wailed. "I know he will."  
  
"Kid..." Harry shook his head. "There's nothing there."  
  
"You're wrong! He wouldn't leave me! Not after Mom and Dad..."  
  
Harry and I exchanged glances. We were all orphans, it seemed. I knelt down beside the boy. "What's your name?"  
  
"Du... Dustin."  
  
"And your brother?"  
  
"Lonny," was the sobbed reply.  
  
"Listen, there's no way that kid is doing this," Harry insisted. "Even if he had the original Merlin's magic potential, it'd require too much power to control a horde like that. How was he simulating the heartbeat anyway?"  
  
I did another scan of the comatose Lonny. His body was soaked with necromantic energy. His organs were working perfectly, but...  
  
And then I saw the other energy source permeating the area. I put two and two together.  
  
"Lonny is the heartbeat," I said.  
  
"Excuse me?", Harry asked.  
  
"Lonny is the heartbeat. It's a quantum link... you would call it sympathetic magic or... or thaumaturgy, is it?"  
  
Harry stared at me, clearly incredulous up to a point. "You're saying that the kid's beating heart operated the zombies?"  
  
"It provided the heartbeat that was missing."  
  
"Hey, Dustin?" Harry knelt down beside him while he continued to hold his hands over his brother Lonny. Korra remained intent on her attempt to heal him, blue light shining from the water she had gathered around Lonny's head. "Did Lonny show you this stuff?"  
  
"Y-yeah," he answered, choking back a sob. "He said he could get mom and dad back. He said we could go home."  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"I don't know," Dustin cried. "I woke up and he... he was like this. I'm doing what he showed me but he's not standing up!"  
  
"Is it common for two brothers to be this powerful?", I asked.  
  
"It's not unheard of for multiple siblings have potential," Harry answered. "But not power like this. A Senior Council member _might_ be capable of this unaided. The kid has to have another power source."  
  
"I believe they do. Lonny used it and played with necromancy, damaged his head in the attempt, and Dustin's now trying to use it to keep him alive. But the brain won't come back..." I swallowed. "All the while, Lonny's continued tie to this other power source is animating corpses all across this area."  
  
There was movement by the door. We all looked up to see zombies start to enter. Harry stood and pointed his blasting rod toward them. I looked away as he started blasting. Korra was still focusing on the boy, but I could see frustration growing in her expression. "It's not working," she said. "Why isn't it working?"  
  
"Korra, there's nothing left to save," I told her. "Harry's going to need your help now."  
  
"No!", she shouted. I saw tears forming in her blue eyes. "I can save him! I'm the _Avatar!_ _I can save him!_ "  
  
"Korra!" Seeing she wasn't being convinced I looked to Dustin. He was staring with fright as Harry and Murphy fired into the zombies lurching into the room. "Dustin, the spell you're casting, the one your brother showed you, it's causing this."  
  
"I... I didn't know," he murmured.  
  
"I know you didn't. But it's hurting a lot of people right now. You need to stop."  
  
Dustin stared forward. "But... my brother will die! I'll lose him like... like..." He sobbed and for a moment the spell lost its cohesion. The zombies stuttered.  
  
I took him by the shoulders and looked into his gray eyes. I looked intently and wondered if he was enough of a practitioner to....  
  
And then I saw Dustin. I saw a life as happy as one could get in poverty. I saw a soul full of broken joy and memories, a longing for the happy past so deep and intense that it rivaled my own desire to regain my faltering identity. We shared the common pain of orphans and a feeling that the world had been taken away from us, and he'd endured it after only fourteen short years of life. All of that loss, that sheer sense of being left alone, on such a young soul was enough to break my hearts.  
  
Our soulgaze broke. Dustin stared at me with amazement. He'd seen what I was and what I had become. I got the sense it didn't frighten him, at least. "You... you..."  
  
"I lost my whole life, Dustin," I told him. "I'm trying to find it again."  
  
"Any time now, someone!", I heard Harry shout. I looked over to see the zombies almost on him and Murphy. despite their best efforts.  
  
"Dustin." I took his hand. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." I felt tears in my eyes that matched the ones in his. "But you have to let go. Please."  
  
I would have given anything to take away that boy's pain. I saw his desire war with the knowledge he had gained from our soulgaze, that his brother was long gone and that this power was slowly corrupting him. I put a hand on his shoulder to reassure him as he cried as only the last survivor of a family can.  
  
He closed his eyes and I felt the energy in the room shift. Lonny's body let out a death rattle. A zombie reaching for Murphy's throat suddenly faltered. It toppled forward into her, lifeless.  
  
I took the poor boy into my arms and gave him a hug as he cried.  
  
But Dustin wasn't the only one in that room who was defying reality. Even as the last life left the body of Lonny, Korra remained focused on his head. "No, no!"  
  
"Korra." Harry walked up and knelt beside us. "He's gone. There's nothing you can do."  
  
" _I'm the Avatar_ ," she insisted. "I'm supposed to save people!"  
  
"You're supposed to _try_ ," I corrected. "But sometimes it can never be enough. Sometimes bad things happen regardless of how much effort you put into it."  
  
She ignored us, continuing to hold the water around the boy's head. Her hands balled into fist and finally she threw them up and let out a scream of anguish and frustration. The water stopped shining and erupted in an explosion that matched her anguish, splattering us all. She put her hands on her face and wept.  
  
Harry put a hand on her shoulder. I could see the sympathy in his face. I could imagine his own failures were echoing in his mind.  
  
For several moments there was silence beyond the sobbing in the room. Dustin's stopped only as he fell asleep, exhausted. I took him and put him on a cot for the moment being. "This mystery has been solved," i said softly. "But another remains."  
  
Harry looked up from where he was comforting Korra and nodded. "Where did these kids get that much magic power?"  
  
"Perhaps it wasn't magic power per se," I remarked. "What if it was energy of a different sort that they tapped. An unending source, somewhere here..." I brought up my sonic and used it to scan. My senses told me it was close, so very close...  
  
I walked toward a side of the room covered in old ruined cardboard boxes, the remains of denizens of this room long fled. I grabbed one box after the other to throw them out of the way. When I moved the last one I saw a sliver of light and followed it to a part of the wall we didn't see before.  
  
My eyes settled on the source of energy that had fueled the brothers' dabbling in necromancy. I felt my hearts grow cold with dread at that sight and I couldn't speak for a moment. Murphy walked up behind me. "Just what the hell is that?", she asked. "It looks like a crack in the wall."  
  
"Not just the wall," I answered hoarsely, my mouth dry from dread. "It's a Crack, Sergeant Murphy." I forced myself to breathe in. "A Crack in the Universe." I brought my sonic up and scanned it. As I got the result I felt my hearts beating even faster as my stomach twisted. "It is literally a crack through six dimensions of space-time. This is what was powering Dustin and Lonny."  
  
"You've got to be sh..." Harry walked up and looked at it. "Oh crap."  
  
"Oh crap indeed." I continued to scan it with my sonic. Unfortunately, I could find no real information on it. An origin point, when it was formed in this cosmos, not a single item of data I could really use. I couldn't even tell what might have caused it. The horrible thought of my TARDIS exploding and destroying all reality filled me. "We're lucky it's not leaking time energy. A Crack like this could literally erase someone from all space-time."  
  
"Oh crap," Murphy muttered in further agreement.  
  
"We need to leave," I said. " _Now._ "  
  
When it came to carrying Dustin, Harry volunteered for the duty, as did Korra. For reasons that are soon to be apparent, I backed Harry. Murphy went out first to make sure there were no surprises. "Don't you hear that?", she said.  
  
"The original occupants of this area, if we're lucky," Harry explained. "Probably wildfae or Little Folk of some kind. But maybe something nastier. Now that the death stuff is gone they'll come back."  
  
I had to nod. Left unsaid was the unlucky part of the proposition: _if something hasn't come through the Crack_. After all, this Crack wasn't like the ones that Eleven had dealt with when his TARDIS got blown up. The lack of existence-erasing time energy told me this was something else.  
  
"Then we should get going. But first things first." I looked to Korra. "You've been avoiding Earthbending tonight, Korra. But we need it here. That chamber must be sealed shut with a pile of rubble that no one will ever dig through. The Crack is too dangerous to leave exposed."  
  
"You'd better get away then," she answered.  
  
We withdrew to a safe distance. I stayed close enough to watch Korra assume an Earthbending fighting stance and begin bringing the earth and earth below together. She literally crushed the room when she did so, sealing the Crack in what had become Lonny's tomb. With tears in her eyes I saw her use her bending to burn a nameplate in the Chinese-style characters of her homeworld, making it as Lonny's resting place. With the tomb marker formed she walked toward me. The weight of what happened left her shoulders low; there was nothing of the cocky, self-assured gait she had used before. Korra did not take defeat well.  
  
Then again, nor do I.  
  
  
  
  
When we returned to where we had left the TARDIS there were corpses laying at intervals around it. We exchanged worried looks before the TARDIS popped into sight. Molly was standing in the door, her hand on the frame, a look of joy flashing across her exhausted features. "You made it!"  
  
Behind her, Camilla and Janias looked up from where they were rubbing Mouse's belly. They smiled at us and stood. "I knew you'd come back," Janias said.  
  
I nodded at her and stepped up into the TARDIS. The others caught their first sight of Dustin and looked confused. "What happened to the necromancer?," Molly asked. "I mean, was the kid..."  
  
"You're looking at him," Murphy answered.  
  
Molly stared in shock. "No way."  
  
Janias put a hand on Dustin. "He's in a lot of pain."  
  
"Yes," I said, trying to not break into tears again. I was not a wizard, I didn't have the Sight or anything that could permanently etch itself into my memory.  
  
I was just a Time Lord. With perfect memory recall. So I'd _always_ remember that poor boy's wracked soul.  
  
After I set the TARDIS back to Harry's apartment and returned us, Harry walked up to me. He warily checked to see if Murphy was in earshot before he began our conversation. "I've got the kid sleeping in one of your side rooms."  
  
"Good," I answered. "So now we have a new problem."  
  
Harry nodded. "You know what I have to do."  
  
I swallowed in response. "If you didn't and they learned about this, you and Molly would be the ones to suffer."  
  
"Nobody is going to step up to teach him, not with the taint of necromancy," Harry said. "And I already have an apprentice under the Doom."  
  
"So they'll kill him." My fists clenched. "Your White Council will behead a fourteen year old boy who only wanted his family back."  
  
"I know, dammit." Harry smacked the rail in frustration. "If not for what it'd mean to me and Molly I'd tell you to run with the kid, show him the Multiverse or whatever."  
  
"I know." I crossed my arms. "Although that does give me an idea. When you convene the Senior Council to judge Dustin, I wish to be present."  
  
Harry's gaze was sharp. "That's stupid, Doc."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"You really want to go before them when you're always wiping your ass with the Sixth Law?"  
  
"I'm not Human anymore and I don't use magic," I retorted. "The Laws of Magic hold no authority over me."  
  
"If you know anything about them then you know damned well how much they think of themselves," Harry pointed out. "They can just as easily decide that the Sixth Law is so important they can enforce it on you anyway. If you go before them it's going to be trouble."  
  
"If I don't, then Warden Morgan's sword will come down," I reminded Harry.  
  
"Dammit, I know..." Harry paced around me with frustration. "But things are bad enough without putting you at the mercy of the Senior Council."  
  
"We'll bring Korra to provide further testimony," I stated. "Dustin never actually controlled the zombies. His brother's remnant energy did. That stain is not his. With our testimony the Merlin may be convinced."  
  
"So she'll be at risk too."  
  
"Korra is powerful enough that even the Senior Council must take pause at facing her," i pointed out. "But it's for the best. Please, Harry. It's Dustin's only chance."  
  
Harry remained silent for a moment. "Okay," he sighed. "Your funeral, Doc."  
  
Quite possibly. But I had preparations to make first.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The zombie problem has been dealt with, but the life of a young boy now hangs in the balance as our narrator faces the Senior Council of the Wizards.

  
It only took a day for Harry to make the arrangements. I parked the TARDIS near the building he designated. Korra and I waited across the street. I could see the young Avatar was only starting to look like her old self again. "The girls treating you well?", I asked.  
  
"Yeah. Molly's been explaining how spirits and magic work in this world." She crossed her arms. "Are you sure this will work?"  
  
"It depends entirely on who attends the meeting," I answered. "Hopefully we won't be forced to our backup plan."  
  
"I wouldn't mind," she grumbled.  
  
"Different worlds, different methods," I reminded her. "Here magic requires belief. Dustin believed he should be able to manipulate the forces of life and death to save his brother. That kind of belief can be corrupting on a soul. The White Council's laws are harsh, but they are not without reason."  
  
"They'd kill a kid. As far as I'm concerned, they all need a butt-kicking."  
  
I smirked at seeing some of Korra's old fire return. "Just don't say that in front of them, Korra. For the boy's sake?"  
  
"Fine."  
  
I could hear an engine puttering in the distance. A multicolored, beaten up Volkswagen Beetle pulled up to the opposite building. I began walking over to it as a young Latino man in a gray cloak emerged from the door. Harry stepped out of the car with Molly; together they pulled Dustin out. He looked almost dazed if rather more healthy and cleaner than when I'd met him. They finished an exchange before Korra and I could step up. "Warden Ramirez, I presume?", I said aloud.  
  
The gray cloak looked toward us. "You're the witnesses Harry called?"  
  
"Yes. I'm the Doctor. This is Avatar Korra. We were present when Warden Dresden discovered young Dustin."  
  
Ramirez looked over to Korra and a small grin crossed his face. "Ah, young lady. I am Carlos Ramirez. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."  
  
"Uh, okay?" Korra looked rather uncertain as he took her hand and kissed it. "I've already got someone, though."  
  
The faintest of sighs came from Ramirez. Behind him, Harry was trying hard not to laugh at his younger comrade's expense.  
  
We were given the usual security examination before being allowed in. The temple dog statue growled a little as Dustin went past. Once we were inside Harry quietly put a hood over Dustin's head, leaving him blind and helpless. Korra noticed it and frowned. "They have to blind him too?"  
  
"It is protocol," I murmured back.  
  
"Wizards can throw death curses," Harry explained, moving up beside us. "The last thing we need is some condemned warlock tossing one at the Senior Council."  
  
"That's just _mean_ ," Korra insisted.  
  
"Yeah, it is. Scared me to death too."  
  
Korra looked up at Harry but said nothing when he looked back at her.  
  
As we entered the central chamber I watched Molly put a nervous hand over her face. When I saw the very old stain on the floor I realized where we were. It was the same building that Molly had been judged in, where the White Council had forced Harry to observe an execution of a Korean boy and had nearly executed her as well.  
  
A dozen Wardens surrounded us. Standing by himself, near the old stain, was Donald Morgan, a somber and terrifying figure to be sure. His sword was unsheathed and the tip pressed against the ground, at the ready to be used in defense of the Council to which he had devoted his life and would give it at a moment's notice. Quite literally, as it would turn out.  
  
My eyes noticed Wizard Peabody, the stenographer of the session and general secretary of the Council, sitting quietly at a desk he had set up, ready to take his notes for the official records.  
  
I had thoughts on my mind about this, but I won't share them. Spoilers for those curious as to Harry's story without the meddling of madmen in blue boxes.  
  
Chairs were made available for the members of the Senior Council in attendance. I recognized the stout figure of Ebenezer McCoy, Harry's teacher, and the cloaked and hooded visage of Rashid the Gatekeeper.  
  
We looked toward each other. Not enough to soulgaze, thankfully, but I could see his expression loosen slightly. It was almost like he was smiling.  
  
I didn't feel as comforted by that as I should have.  
  
The figure in the middle was an old, broad-shouldered man with a long flowing beard who was clearly the Merlin; Arthur Langtry, a man who's arrogance could match that of a Time Lord. Beside him was another older man, closer to middle age, who was thin and balding. I realized by process of elimination that he was Aleron LaFortier. Beside him was an old, short Asian woman. Ancient Mai.  
  
I swallowed. Unless McCoy or the Gatekeeper had been given the proxies for the votes of the two missing Senior Council wizards, this left the Merlin with a deciding vote and two votes already weighed heavily against Dustin. It would take all four of those present to overrule him. That was not very likely.  
  
My hand itched as I longed to grab the TARDIS key in my pocket. But I forced myself to be calm.  
  
"We are prepared to begin," the Merlin announced loudly. "Warden Dresden, have our witnesses been informed that all White Council business is conducted in Latin?"  
  
"They have, Merlin," Harry answered.  
  
I saw a flicker of intrigue pass through that old face. I had to smile. Harry now shared the Gift of the TARDIS, including the ability to have his speech converted perfectly from English to Latin. The same Gift would permit Korra and I to participate fully and understand the others; a needed advantage.  
  
Unfortunately, it meant Dustin would hear it too. He would hear them debate to end his life.  
  
"Then explain to us the reason for our attendance on this day, Warden."  
  
"I have brought a prisoner before the Council, one who has broken the Fifth Law." There was a hushed silence amongst the others. "I have brought him here to see justice, Merlin."  
  
"The young man with you is the prisoner?"  
  
"The boy is, yes."  
  
These two men had danced this dance before, I knew. I waited patiently as Harry explained the facts of the case and his assertion that Dustin had not acted with malice. He was more cautious than he had been with Langtry at Molly's trial, I noted. Experience was a harsh teacher, but it did teach.  
  
When Harry presented us as witnesses we stepped forward. Korra went first, maintaining her composure admirably given her clear anger at the proceedings. When it was my turn, I introduced myself as I had been doing.  
  
As I called myself the Doctor, I could _feel_ the Gatekeeper's attention on me. It was not comforting at all.  
  
I gave my testimony as concisely as possible. When complete I stepped back and bowed respectfully. The Merlin's eyebrow went up. I suppose he had not been expecting my manners given my association with Harry. Which, of course, was why I did it. Surprise works wonders on arrogance.  
  
"The Council is ready to vote on judgement," the Merlin said. "Is there anything else to be said?"  
  
"I would ask to address the Council, Merlin, and beg its indulgence in the name of humanity," I replied.  
  
I could sense LaFortier's irritation and Ancient Mai's outright contempt. I had some ideas of why I'd earned it, but I was focused on the only man in the room who's opinion mattered.  
  
"Speak, Doctor."  
  
I nodded politely. "Thank you, my lord. Honored Merlin, venerable and wise elders of the ways of Magic, I wish to propose an alternative that has not yet been possible for one such as Dustin. The facts of the case make clear he did not act with malice but only grief, nor was he directly responsible for the true wrongs done. Yet I am aware of how unyielding your Laws and judgements must be to preserve the practice of magic from corruption. With the Council's blessing I would remove Dustin from this cosmos and take him to another, a place where he will not be alone and where wise masters can train him in the use of his gift. The Justice of the White Council would be served without necessitating the taking of a young life that can still know redemption."  
  
"And you can accomplish this, Doctor?", Ebenezer asked.  
  
"Warden Dresden can vouch for the existence of my TARDIS. Avatar Korra's very presence in this room should explain what it's capable of."  
  
"Do you have a place in mind for the boy?"  
  
"Yes, Honored Merlin. Avatar Korra has already vouched for his future."  
  
This prompted some murmuring. Ancient Mai brought a withered hand up. "The stain of necromancy is great on a soul, you would risk that world to a therat they cannot combat, Doctor?"  
  
"Korra's world has the means to deal with any trouble Dustin could cause if his corruption were to remain and take control. Korra would deal with it herself as the guardian of that world."  
  
"A guardian? I see only an impulsive child," LaFortier said dismissively.  
  
Korra frowned at that, but I held a hand up slightly. The Merlin's political allies were trying to provoke her and I couldn't let that happen. "Yes, she is young. But she hosts the guardian spirit of her very planet. Its elements, it's millennia of wisdom, are there to guide her and protect her. If that is not enough, I will observe the boy's progress as well."  
  
"We know better than you the threat of necromancy, Doctor," Mai proclaimed. "You ask us to spare the next Kemmler to ruin another world. The only way to deal with a necromancer is to kill them."  
  
She hadn't used the word "potential". It was painfully clear Ancient Mai considered Dustin a lost cause.  
  
"That's a bit far, Mai," Ebenezer protested.  
  
So says the Council's _assassin_ , I thought to myself.  
  
"I do not come to judge the Council's decision in this matter," I lied. "I plead for its mercy. You are already at war, Honored Merlin, and your Council has seen enough death. Staying the sword from this boy's neck could only help in dealing with the weariness of death that I know must have settled upon your soul."  
  
For a moment, I saw the mental exhaustion tighten his eyes and knew my words hit home. The Merlin oozed arrogance, but he was still a man. A man who knew pain and anguish and loss, who had seen many colleagues and allies cut down in the war with the Red Court of Vampires.  
  
"This boy is a lost cause," LaFortier insisted. He looked down at Dustin. "He will cause only suffering and death if you permit him to live. His death will save this world or the other from his eventual fall and, in the interest of _mercy_ , will save his soul in the process."  
  
The Merlin held up a hand before I could reply. "We will vote on your proposal, Doctor."  
  
I remained silent as the present Council voted. LaFortier and Mai voted to reject, meaning Dustin's execution. Ebenezer and the Gatekeeper voted for acceptance. As I had suspected, the Merlin's vote would mean anything.  
  
He looked down at me. "We are not heartless," he said. "It has been our way that if one willing to share the Doom of Damocles steps forward to teach and guide a child such as this, the Council can and will show clemency. I see no reason to do otherwise in this case. The boy may go with you, Doctor." The Merlin smiled thinly. "I pray he does not take our mercy lightly."  
  
I could hear Harry exhale. I looked over at a smiling Korra and stepped up to where Dustin was on his knees beside Morgan. I pulled the hood off. He looked at me with forlorn eyes. "They're telling the truth, aren't they Doctor?", he asked me in a low, sad voice.  
  
"Anyone can do terrible things," I replied. "But you're better than that. Your family is still in there, with you. They'll guide you to do the right thing."  
  
"Come on, Dustin." Korra waved at him. "I'm sure Master Tenzin will be glad to help you. And wait until you meet Bolin, he's going to make you laugh."  
  
Dustin looked from her to me and to the Council. And then back to me. "I'm scared, Doctor."  
  
"Don't be," I assured him. I realized something was terribly wrong at that moment and, like a fool, I hoped my smile would make it better.  
  
"I don't want to be bad," Dustin said. "I... I want to be with my family."  
  
I saw the look in his eyes and knew what was about to happen. But it was too late to stop it.  
  
Dustin twisted out of my grip and turned to Morgan. And he jumped, his hands outstretched to grab Morgan's sword.  
  
Morgan was a combat veteran. He reacted in a matter befitting that experience and brought his blade up.  
  
Dustin ran right into it.  
  
Blood spurted from Dustin's back where the blade pierced his chest. It erupted from the boy's mouth as he hung limply against the blade. I saw him look up at Morgan and meet the older man's eyes. Despite the weakness in his voice, I heard his words.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"No!" Korra was already almost to him, but she hadn't reacted in time. Her Airbending maneuver ceased in mid grasp as she saw the blade go through Dustin. She reached frantically for a water bottle that wasn't there. "I need water! Someone give me water! I can heal him!"  
  
"It's too late for the boy," Morgan said quietly. "He is gone." The gruff old Warden, about as close to a Judge Dredd of Wizards that one could ever find, laid Dustin's body down and pulled his sword out. I could see that the wound was at the worst possible place; the blade had skewered Dustin's heart. "He rests with his family now."  
  
Korra turned to the Council. I saw a fiery look in her eyes and knew her temper was starting to rise, so I grabbed her arm. "Not here, Korra. There's nothing left you can do."  
  
"They made him do it," she insisted. "They scared him into it."  
  
"Korra, it won't accomplish anything good. There's been enough suffering today," I murmured to her. "Please."  
  
She looked back at me and I saw the tears forming in her eyes, the agony of failure. She blamed herself for both brothers now.  
  
"If there is no other business," the Merlin said, "then I shall consider this meeting adjourned."  
  
I took Korra in my arm and walked her back toward Molly and Harry.  
  
"We have one more point of business, Merlin," I heard LaFortier announce. I looked at Harry and saw the "oh crap" look on his face and had a good idea who he was looking at.  
  
"We now have clear proof that this man, this 'Doctor', is a _chronomancer_ ," LaFortier pronounced. "He is a violator of the Sixth Law."  
  
"Pardon me, Councilman LaFortier, but as I am not Human and I do not use magic, I fail to see the issue or, indeed, your jurisdiction," I remarked.  
  
"The Sixth Law is based on a greater principle than magic," Ancient Mai remarked.  
  
"Our duty here is clear, Merlin." LaFortier pointed to me. "The Doctor must be executed. Immediately."  
  
Oh _crap_.

"Merlin, this man is an ally of the Council," Harry protested.  
  
"He does swim against the currents of time by his own admittance, Warden Dresden," the Merlin pointed out.  
  
"This man is a grave threat to the very fabric of reality," LaFortier charged. "He must be executed to prevent him from destroying everything."  
  
I began to raise my voice but I was drowned out by a roar of anger. " _No!_ ," Korra shouted. " _I'm not letting you kill him!_ " She stepped in front of me.  
  
There was bemusement in the Merlin's voice. "Child, you are clearly ignorant of the power you are threatening. If it is the finding of this Council to execute the Doctor, there's nothing you can do to stop it."  
  
"Try me!"  
  
By this point the Wardens were surrounding her. She noticed them and adopted a fighting stance. With a movement of her arm, soil erupted from beneath the floor and threw four of them off their feet. She moved an arm and sent another two flying backward with a blast of air.  
  
The Merlin raised a hand and energy enveloped Korra, forcing her to her knees. She grunted and struggled against it. "You clearly do not deserve the power you've been given, child," the Merlin announced. "But it is not my place to judge another world, so I'll let you go with a...."  
  
I saw Korra's eyes go white and swallowed.  
  
Surprise flashed across the Merlin's face as his binding field came apart against the power that erupted from within it. Korra rose up into the air on a swirling pillar of air, the power of the Avatar State shining in her eyes. The Wardens, even Morgan, were tossed aside like dolls by the winds she commanded. She turned her attention to the Merlin and the others and with a wave of her arms created a cage of rock and concrete to cut their lines of retreat off. Water erupted from the water lines of the building and swished through the cage, cutting the three prisoners off from their magic. " _ **YOU WILL NOT HARM HIM!**_ ", she declared.  
  
"Korra, stop it!", I shouted. "This isn't solving anything!" I looked to see Ebenezer sighing and reaching out. I knew he was going to summon the Blackstaff and once that was out... I shuddered to imagine the consequences. Harry wasn't supposed to see it in action yet and if it worked on Korra and her Avatar Spirit... "Don't!" I shouted at, well, everyone. "Please, calm yourselves!"  
  
I saw the first shadows of black begin to form on Ebenezer's arm. My hand reached into my pocket for the TARDIS key. I'd spent the prior day waiting for this meeting getting a remote control for the TARDIS ready, you see, since I imagined we might need a quick escape. We'd only have seconds before they reacted, of course, and only _if_ this worked...  
  
A hand grabbed Ebenezer's arm, causing the shadows to recede.  
  
After taking his comrade's arm to stop him, the Gatekeeper took a step forward and raised his voice. "We cannot execute the Doctor," he announced.  
  
Rashid's accented voice was rich and powerful, such that it cut through Korra's anger and worry. She remained in the Avatar State for the moment but she ceased her assault on those present. With a motion of her hand the rock receded into the building's foundation.  
  
The Merlin, soaked to the bones, looked to his peer with a clear combination of anger and surprise. "You have something to add to this discussion, Gatekeeper?"  
  
"It is true that the Doctor moves against the current of time," Rashid said. "But he is not the only one. There are many forces that threaten the stability of space-time with magic or technology. Beings such as the Doctor are necessary to preserve the timeline against them. As a Time Lord, the Doctor is a protector of Time and an ally in my own efforts." Rashid nodded to me. "I cannot support his execution and I move that the Council reject Councilman LaFortier's motion."  
  
There was a glare from that quarter, but nothing more was said. The Merlin held the vote. Harry and I exchanged terrified looks, but we needn't have bothered. It was unanimous; I was spared. As soon as the vote was finished Korra settled onto the ground and returned from the Avatar State.  
  
It was clear that Mai and LaFortier were itching for an order against Korra next, but the Gatekeeper preempted them. "In light of the heightened passions in this room I move that we give instructions on the care of the deceased to Warden Ramirez and adjourn, honored Merlin."  
  
Langtry was glaring at Korra, but he didn't give any order. He simply nodded in affirmation.  
  
After arrangements were made for Dustin's remains, the Senior Council retreated from the arena. The Merlin and his allies were still soaked to the bone and plainly upset. Ramirez and the other Wardens eyed us warily as we left the building. Molly couldn't take her eyes off Korra but Harry was... less than happy with her. "Stars and stones, kid, you don't know the hell you just caused me," he sighed.  
  
"They had it coming," Korra insisted. "I couldn't just let them kill the Doctor!"  
  
"The Gatekeeper was never going to let it get that far," I pointed out, even if felt rather glad at her defense of my person.  
  
"Kid..." Harry looked like he wanted to say more but didn't.  I guessed it was because we were out in public. "I'll tell you when we're back at my place. Come on, Molly."  
  
They went toward the Beetle. I looked to Korra and motioned toward the TARDIS. "Thank you for your defense, by the way," I said.  
  
"I can't believe they can kill people so quickly and think they're good," Korra replied.  
  
"They've been at war for a few years now," I pointed out. "And you can get used to the ease of simply ordering executions."  
  
We got to the TARDIS and Korra went in first. As I went to I heard a single footstep behind me. I turned, quite sure who was standing there.  
  
"Hello, Doctor," said the Gatekeeper.  
  
I closed the TARDIS door behind me and looked to him. "Gatekeeper. To what do I owe the pleasure?"  
  
"I thought I would pay my respects," he said.  
  
"My thanks for your intercession. I wasn't keen to see the Blackstaff applied on Korra."  
  
"It is debatable on whether it would have worked, but I didn't wish to find out." He leaned slightly on his staff. "You're still fairly early in your timestream as the Doctor, aren't you?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"And you just saw your first Crack."  
  
I narrowed my eyes. "You know of them," I stated.  
  
"Yes." He nodded. "I'm not yet sure what caused them. But it occurs to me that there is a coincidence here that needs consideration."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"Here you are, recently altered and given the ability to traverse the six dimensions. And now we have cracks in those dimensions."  
  
I had thought about that and gave a nod. "It's not a coincidence I like."  
  
"Ah." He nodded. "You worry that you have caused them. I am not so sure of that. I do urge you to be careful, however, in pursuing them. It is possible they have a link to what was done to you."  
  
"That thought also crossed my mind. I plan on being very careful."  
  
"Good luck, then, and I hope you find the answers you seek." He turned to leave. But he stopped. "By the way, how much do you remember of your old life?"  
  
I had been about to open the TARDIS when he asked. I looked intently at him. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Who were your friends and family? What did you do with them?", Rashid asked.  
  
I let my thoughts wonder. "Well, I did plenty of things. I..." I thought of memories with my friends. Of late night brainstorming chats, of political and historical discussions, and other things. And the times I'd been with people. I remembered meeting some friends to see Return of the King, or the following year when I met my friend Amy in person, and my trips to New York and to Oregon to see friends. I thought of the cool Pacific air whipping across my face out on Puget Sound.  
  
"What about your family?"  
  
"Oh. Yes, I remem...ber..." Horror crept into my voice as my mind tried to grasp the images of my parents, the memories of their voices... and found nothing. I put a hand to my head as pain began to gather in my temple. "....my parents. They're... I can't remember..."  
  
"Who you once were is wrapped up in those memories."  
  
"There's a lock in my mind," I gasped, remembering Bob's words. "It's taking everything I was and keeping it out of my head."  
  
"Yes. Be careful that your new identity doesn't overwhelm what's left of your old."  
  
"Can you help me with..."  
  
"No," the Gatekeeper answered. "I cannot break that lock in your mind. Only you can."  
  
"I don't know how."  
  
For a moment the Gatekeeper remained silent, like he was looking at something past me. His eyes refocused on me. "Keep traveling Doctor," he said. "You may yet find a way. I wish you well."  
  
At that point he turned and left. I watched him go and breathed in.  
  
I can't tell you how much it hurt, losing those memories, and knowing it was just the start, that something in my head would soon take everything I knew and loved and keep it from me.  
  
I remembered feeling anger at whoever did this to me. I remember wanting to make it stop. But I didn't know how. And as I stood there alone by the TARDIS, watching the Gatekeeper disappear into a Way, I grasped at the only hope I had, the hope he had offered me.  
  
I had to keep going.  
  
  
  
  
We were all gathered inside the TARDIS' library and sitting room, hiding in the Time Vortex and away from any possible spies from Harry's world.  
  
Harry wasn't very pleased with Korra at the moment. "I'm going to spell this out for you, okay?", he grumbled. "I brought you to a Council meeting as a witness. Then you go and make a scene and _humiliate_ the Merlin and two of his closest allies. Do you have any idea how bad this could be?"  
  
"I wasn't going to let them kill him!", Korra retorted. "Maybe if your bosses weren't such... such _jerks_ I wouldn't have done anything!"  
  
"Jerk bosses are a part of life, kid! You can't go around kicking their tails in because you don't like it!"  
  
"It sounds like we missed all the fun," Camilla remarked stoically from her seat.  
  
"I think the issue, Korra, is that this may not remain a secret." I eyed Harry. "When word of this gets out, and it will, the supernatural powers of the world will know that you walked into a meeting of the Senior Council, attacked the Merlin and two of his peers, and then walked out without a scratch."  
  
Harry nodded. I'm sure he could tell from my look that I knew about the traitor in the White Council, a figure working with the Vampires and more... disruptive forces at work in his world. I'm sure he had an idea that I knew who the traitor was - and I did - but I can't go messing with the timeline that blatantly. "We're in the middle of peace talks with the Vampires right now, kid, and you just cost us. You made us look weak and stupid. And you're not going to be around to take the heat for that. _I am._ "  
  
"Well, let's go hit the vampires too!"  
  
"No!", I shouted. "No no no, young lady, you have taken enough risks outside of your world already. If any diversions begin happening from the timeline _I_ will deal with them." I sighed. "I think it's time we ended what has been a very bad day."  
  
"It's been more than one day," Janias pointed out.  
  
"Earth day. There are worlds with longer, I'm going to go with those for this." I motioned to the control room.  
  
"Hey Doc." Harry looked up at me as I went up some stairs. "What about that 'Crack'? What if more pop up?"  
  
"The Gatekeeper is looking out for them," I said. "But... come here."  
  
We all headed to the control room, where I landed the TARDIS in front of Harry's apartment again. I reached into my pocket and retrieved a device I'd just picked up. "It's a temporal beacon, use it on your phone and it'll let you call the TARDIS. Don't worry, I've shielded it from your magic field, it'll work." I handed it to him. "If you see any more Cracks, call. And if you need help with something... call as well." I swallowed. "Just remember that I can't risk interfering in some of the events to come, Harry. It'll disrupt your timeline too much."  
  
"Let's just hope my timeline doesn't get too shitty," he replied. He pocketed the beacon. "Come on Grasshopper. Let's go."  
  
Molly nodded and gave Cami, Janias, and Korra goodbyes. "I'd love it if you came back sometime," she said to them. "Harry can be a real sourpuss. And you haven't met my _mom_ yet."  
  
A mental image crossed my mind. It consisted of Molly introducing her devout Catholic parents to a lesbian couple, one of whom wasn't even Human. I started to laugh despite myself, getting looks from the others. "Sorry, I just had something stuck in my head. Very amusing. Something to bring popcorn too." I looked back to Molly. "Take care young lady, and mind that bit in your head that thinks about playing with the minds of others. Make sure to listen to Harry. Well, except when he's being dumb, then listen just enough to make him do something smart."  
  
"Oh, the last thing I need is you undermining me with my own apprentice," Harry guffawed. He looked at Janias and Camilla. "Hey, girls, keep him from being dumb, okay?"  
  
"A fair retort," I remarked. I looked up as they stepped out of the TARDIS and Harry began to close it. "It was an honor to work beside you, Harry Dresden. Take care of yourself."  
  
"Same to you, Doctor." He gave me a crooked smile and a wink. "Same to you. Good luck finding out what happened to you."  
  
As soon as the door closed I took the TARDIS out. I remember thinking I'd forgotten something, but I couldn't remember what...  
  
I'd find out eventually, of course. But that's a story for another time.  
  
  
  
  
It was sunset in Republic City when Korra and I stepped out of the TARDIS. I'd brought her straight to Air Acolyte Island a couple of hours after we'd left the city.  
  
Her friends were standing in what I assumed to be combat stances. Master Tenzin was waiting patiently, but a smile came across his bearded face as Korra walked up to them. "Korra?!"  
  
Mako grabbed her and brought her into a hug. I tried not to think about how badly _that_ was going to end for him. They kissed warmly for a moment.  
  
A figure moved out from behind Tenzin. I recognized Chief Lin Bei-Fong and tried not to frown. She pointed a finger at me. "Give me a good reason not to haul you in for kidnapping and associating with Equalists?"  
  
"Well, I wasn't associating with them and it's hard for me to be a kidnapper when someone grabs my TARDIS as it dematerializes," I pointed out. "I'm the Doctor, by the way. Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Chief Bei-Fong."  
  
"Yeah, that's kind of my fault," Korra admitted. She continued to hold on to Mako for the moment but she was looking at Lin. "He's not a bad guy, Lin."  
  
"Where have you been?", Tenzin asked.  
  
"Well, I grabbed the Doctor's TARDIS thing, and it kinda flew off toward another world but I was messing it up so the Doctor had to crashland it into a building. And then there were zombies - walking dead bodies, really gross - and this tall guy named Harry who could Firebend like nothing I've seen before using something called evocation..."  
  
By the time Korra finished her tale Tenzin was alternatively sighing with relief and a face-palming. "The Avatar State isn't meant for you to have a temper tantrum, Korra," he chided her.  
  
"Hey, those White Council jerks deserved it," Korra insisted.  
  
"All that matters is that you're home," Mako insisted.  
  
Tenzin's wife, Pema, stepped up to me. "Um, Doctor? Would you like to have dinner with us?"  
  
I almost said no. But seeing the look on her face I allowed myself a small smile. "Wonderful idea. I have companions, two young ladies, who travel with me."  
  
"Oh, we have plenty. We're used to having extra mouths around here." Pema looked toward Mako and Bolin.  
  
"Very well. I'll be right with you." I opened the door to go invite Janias and Camilla.  
  
"So, walking dead, huh?", I heard Bolin ask. "That's totally crazy. Man, that would have been fun..."  
  
  
  
  
Dinner was swell, although it didn't involve green noodles. Oh well. When it was done and after I managed to extricate Janias from introducing Bolin to Jedi Force techniques the hard way, we returned to the TARDIS. I stopped and looked up at Aang's statue while the girls returned to the TARDIS to begin resting. It was, all things told, a lovely sight. The Republic City skyline at night is something one must see to truly enjoy.  
  
I heard footsteps behind me and saw Korra walk up. "Good evening, Korra."  
  
"You're leaving, right?"  
  
"Yes. Other worlds to visit and all." I smiled at her. "Don't worry, I'll be back. I still need to try those green noodles."  
  
She let out a small giggle at that. But I could see she was hurting. "I... I screwed up, didn't I?"  
  
I was silent.  
  
"I mean, I dragged your TARDIS around like that and made it crash. And I didn't help Harry and Murphy against the zombies when I should have. And then attacking the Council... and it was all for nothing anyway because we didn't save Dustin and his brother." I saw tears in her face. "I failed."  
  
"You helped us end a threat that might have harmed hundreds of innocent people," I reminded her. "You showed mercy and compassion to a child who needed it. And... well, perhaps you gave the Merlin a little needed humility." I looked upward for a moment. "Okay, yes, that probably wasn't the best thing. That man's ego can survive a shower like that. Might be best if you don't go back to that cosmos until a bit later in the timestream there."  
  
Korra shook her head, tears still in her eyes. "I didn't save Dustin, though."  
  
"He made his choice, Korra." I sighed and gave the suffering young heroine a hug. "Sometimes you don't save everyone, Korra. Sometimes you don't save _anyone_. Sometimes winning is just getting out alive. It's something you're going to have to accept. Even the Avatar has limits." I heard her sob and let her finish. "Sometimes, Korra, you just have a bad day."  
  
As I said those words, I felt a tear in my eye. They weren't just for her benefit; they reminded me that _I_ couldn't save everyone either. It wasn't an easily thing to think on, but it couldn't be helped. It still can't. I have to live with this truth every day. It's part of being the Doctor.  
  
After a few moments she let go and looked up at me with those bright blue eyes. "Can I come with you?", she asked.  
  
"Uhm." I swallowed and thought of the issue. "As I said, Korra, it's a risk to take you out of this cosmos."  
  
"We don't have to get into a fight all the time," she pointed out. "But there are so many worlds out there. I'd like to see them."  
  
"I can't blame you for that." I thought of her past. Even Republic City was relatively new to her. She'd spent almost her entire life cooped up in a White Lotus training camp in the Southern Water Tribe. I can see that giving her a major case of wanderlust. And I could imagine the delight in those blue eyes at the wonders I could show her. "Sometimes... i suppose I can show you some sights. But not all the time. You have important work here, Korra. Very important. Being the Avatar carries responsibilities I can't interfere with."  
  
"I know."  
  
I drew in a breath and pulled something out of my pocket. "This is the same thing I gave to Harry, Korra. If you see any of those cracks, or anything beyond normal for your world, or you just need a lot of help... make sure you call me, okay?" I handed it to her. "I can't promise I can help with anything, but if I can... I'll be here."  
  
"Thank you." She took it and put it into her belt.  
  
I nodded at her and walked over to the TARDIS. As I opened the door I heard her call out to me and look back. "Doctor, how do you deal with a bad day like we just had?", she asked.  
  
I stood there for a moment in thought. "I think about it. I think what I might have done to change things. And I remember I can't let it get to me."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"It's the best way to think on these things. Can't dwell on them, it'll drive you mad. And I'm mad enough as it is."  
  
"And what else?"  
  
I smiled at Korra. "I remember, my dear Korra, that there's _always tomorrow_."  
  
The words settled in. She smiled back.  
  
And with that, I closed the door.  
  
It had been a bad day, or rather a few if you want to be picky. But there was always tomorrow.

 


End file.
